


On the Waves, Down to Earth

by missberrycake



Category: Jurassic Park (Movies), One Direction (Band)
Genre: 1D Big Bang, AU, Absent!Zayn, Asexual Character, Bisexual Character, Dinosaurs, Homosexuality, I should stop writing movie AU's, Isla Nublar, Jurassic Park - Freeform, Jurassic World, Liam's a bisexual mechanic on a dinosaur infested island what's not to love?, M/M, Mechanic!Liam, OT4, OT4 Friendship, OT5, OT5 Friendship, Paralegal!Harry, Warning: Blood and Gore and Swearing, Zoologist!Niall, but I ain't gonna, my mother would be appalled, teacher!Louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-15 17:57:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 46,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5794237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missberrycake/pseuds/missberrycake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the Jurassic World luxury resort’s array of cloned dinosaurs aren’t enough to keep the public’s attention. When a crack team of scientists create the genetically engineered Indominus Rex, something goes terribly wrong. The vicious creature escapes, leaving it up to Harry, Liam, Louis, and Niall to save the park from an all-out, prehistoric assault. And if it takes the threat of an imminent dinosaur attack for Louis to realise his feelings for Liam aren’t purely platonic, then so be it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Right, well. Dinosaurs, then? I’ve always enjoyed the Jurassic Park films, and the recent Jurassic World movie brought them back to the forefront of my mind. Then, one day, I had a vision of the One Direction guys all terrified, covered in mud, and running for their lives in the rain. I figured this needed to be shared with the world, with added dinosaurs.
> 
> Thanks to [larriestagramm](http://larriestagramm.tumblr.com) for being a lovely beta for my first ever Big Bang, and to the mods - you guys are stars for doing this. 
> 
> And do not forget to send all the praise to [lilohasnocontrol](http://lilohasnocontrol.tumblr.com) for her frankly amazing art (it’s awesome, thank you so much for picking my fic!)
> 
> Also, there’s a character called Niamh in this story. It’s an Irish name (hint: she’s related to Niall) and it’s pronounced ‘Ne-eve’. I mention it because I spent a large part of my young-adult life pronouncing Hermione ‘Her-me-own’ by mistake. Nobody needs that nonsense.

**Isla Nublar, 120 miles off the west coast of Costa Rica**

It began with a tap. The light clink of claws against glass. A scratch like nails on a chalkboard.

The thick, humid mug that engulfed the Isla Nublar lingered above the ground. The wet heat cloyed at the throats of the workers, all standing prepared, tranquilisers gripped in their tense hands. 

It was night time, the dark sky bearing down on the island. The only light to break free was the bright white gleam of the floodlights. They stood, like guardians, on each side of the reinforced compound door.

As the tropical rain began to fall in drenching sheets, the low hum of a large multi-terrain vehicle approached the clearing. The crunch of its many tyres loud, while the dozens of workers stood and watched. The vehicle came to a slow halt ahead of the doors. A dragged out thudding came from within the truck and those in the immediate vicinity raised their guns. There was a creature in there, docile for now, but large and unpredictable.

Several of the men nearest the back of the truck were shifting nervously where they stood. Behind them, the mechanical shutter that reinforced the compound door began to rise, ready to welcome the creature to its new home. Unrelenting, the rain poured, the ground turning to wet mud. 

“This is absurd,” one of the workers yelled out, his hair lying wet and flat against his scalp. “How are we supposed to contain this?”

Near the tree line, sheltered by an expansive umbrella emblazoned with the park’s logo, a thin woman with cropped brown hair smirked. “They said the same thing about the tyrannosaurus rex, the velociraptors and the mosasaurus,” she said, her voice raised above the agitated murmurs of the surrounding crew. “This is just another cog in the machine.”

“There’s never been anything like this before.”

“Are you telling me that I need to get someone else for the job?” She raised a carefully plucked eyebrow towards the other man. Her tone was short and sharp, almost matching the smart cut of her suit and the thin point of her stiletto heel where it disappeared into the mud.

The worker paused for a moment, before shaking his head. “No, Ms. Seward,” he croaked. “No, not at all.”

“Good. I need the best I can get.” She turned her gaze to the compound once more, where the doors were closing behind the truck, trapping the creature inside. “This one’s going to have the whole world on their feet, just you wait.”

A second car arrived, wheels crunching against the gravel track. A collection of individuals piled out. The wipers of the Jeep were working furiously across the windscreen.

At the head of the group a tall man, with ruddy red skin and thick grey hair frowned at the high walls. “This is the new attraction?” He turned to Seward, his arms folded. “Okay, Seward. Why’s it worth so much?”

Seward inclined her head, interlocking her fingers as she addressed the group. “Our annual revenue is continuing to climb, that’s not a problem for us. But our operating costs are higher than ever. The shareholders are getting impatient,” she explained. “You know as well as I do that dinosaurs just aren’t that impressive anymore.”

Beside her one of the workers scoffed. She silenced him immediately with a glare.

“Two decades ago, yes,” she admitted, “de-extinction was practically like magic. These days, we might as well be a glorified zoo. Kids care as much about a triceratop as they do about a rhino.”

“All right, so what’s your point?” one of the group asked, sounding a little bored.

Seward took a deep breath. “Asset development has been working to keep up. The DNA excavators back in our lab are discovering new species every year.”

Someone near the back of the group made a thoughtful sound. “You’ve got a new dinosaur, then?” They shrugged, “It’s still just another dinosaur.”

“Indeed. Customers have high standards.” Seward gave a wide smile. “They want bigger. Louder.” She let her eyes travel across the group. “More teeth,” she finished, with a tilt of her head. “And that’s what we’re giving them. We’ve come a long way in our gene splicing research.” She clapped her hands, pleased to see the group look more intrigued at what she had to say. “When you came here today, you were thinking about sponsoring a new attraction? What was going through your mind?”

There was a short pause. One of the younger members of the group piped up, from under their umbrella, “I want to be thrilled.”

Seward clicked her fingers. “Precisely,” she said. She stretched out her arm towards the enclosure behind them. “The indominus rex. Our first genetically modified hybrid. She’ll be fifty feet long when grown. That’s bigger than our tyrannosaurus rex, even.” 

She waited for a moment, to allow the visitors to take in her words. She could tell that they were in. Even in the middle of the night, in pouring rain, surrounded by mud and dirt, the lure of such a creature would be too much for even the most timid of investors.

“Each time a new asset is announced, attendance spikes,” she continued. “It’s fact. Global news coverage, celebrity visitors, the eyes of the world will be on us.”

The faces ahead of her were nodding along, eyes wide, expressions hungry.

Animals, she thought. Humans, dinosaurs, it didn’t make a difference. If you knew how to control them, you could do what you wanted. 

“We’re ready to go,” she smiled. “We just need you to say yes.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ “Entertainment has nothing to do with reality.  _

_ Entertainment is antithetical to reality.” _

**Gatwick, West Sussex**

There was a soft pounding in the distance. It sounded as if it was getting closer and closer. The curtains of his hotel room were ripped open and Louis scrunched his eyes shut, pulling his twisted duvet up over his face. 

“Up.” Harry’s familiar voice broke through Louis’ sleepy state. “It’s time to get up,” he continued, a little too loud.

They had checked into a cheap hotel near the airport the night before, to make life easier for themselves. Booking a stupidly early flight out for the morning had felt sensible at the time, but right now Louis was now regretting that decision with every fibre of his being.

“No. It’s fine,” Louis croaked, keeping his eyes shut tight and rolling away from the grating sound of Harry’s voice. “I don’t need to shower. Ten more minutes.”

“I knew you would do this. Don’t you remember what you said last night?”

The slightly annoyed tone in Harry’s voice convinced Louis to pry his eyelids open. His friend was standing at the bottom of the bed, a stern expression on his face. He looked ready to go, his long curly hair tied up in a bun and his pale skin unfairly bright for such an early start.

“Past Louis didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about,” Louis sighed, dropping his arm over his eyes, with a dramatic huff. “Now Louis does.”

Harry clicked his tongue and Louis knew he was rolling his eyes. “You made me promise not to let you over sleep,” he reminded.

The two of them had been friends for a long time. It had been almost fifteen years since Harry had sat down next to him on the school bus at the beginning of term and started to question the ethics of forcing pupils to wear blazers with their school uniforms. If Louis recalled correctly, he’d placed great emphasis of freedom of expression. At the time Louis had been somewhat baffled by the whole thing, though he hadn’t been able to shake Harry since. The younger boy had found him every breaktime and wore him down until they became friends by default. It had all worked out all right in the end, Louis thought, considering how fond he was of the man now.

As Harry continued to bumble around his hotel room, however, creating noise wherever he went, Louis was having trouble holding onto that fondness.

“It’s half past four in the morning,” Louis complained, voice scratching at his throat. His eyes itched, he was so tired. In his hazy and vulnerable state he tried to kick the tangled sheets away from his feet. They only ended up getting even more jumbled.

“I made a promise, Lou,” Harry said, ignoring Louis’ efforts to break free of his material prison. “I don’t break my promises.” He stepped closer and clapped the side of Louis’ body. With his hands on his hips he chided, “Come on. Up.”

“Oh, God,” Louis grumbled, pressing his face further into his pillow and muffling his words. “I hate you.” How could someone be so enthusiastic so early in the morning? Harry was the type of person that would slip in a round of yoga before work, spontaneously decide to cycle the length of the country for charity, or preach the benefits of cutting all sugar out of your diet because ‘ _ don’t you just feel so much more energised? _ ’ He was the epitome of ‘in control and together.’ Louis thought it was disgusting.

“You’re a dirty liar,” Harry replied, unfazed. “I’ll be back in ten minutes, and if you’re not at least out of bed by then there will be trouble.” He pointed a threatening finger towards Louis. “And that’s a promise.”

“All right,  _ dad _ ,” Louis mocked, attempting to kick out from beneath his sheets.

Harry smirked, humouring him. “You know, you’re my favourite son. Don’t tell your brothers.” Louis let out a defensive groan as Harry leant down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I’ve ordered breakfast for us both in my room. There may be bacon involved,” Harry said lightly, with a wink. Louis scowled. “Flight’s in four hours,” he sang as he retreated from the room. “The countdown’s starting.”

Quiet filled the room once more, the gentle hum of cars along the M23 buzzing in the distance. Left alone in his bed with the faint light of morning shining down on him, Louis remained unmoving under the covers, regardless of the threats Harry had made. It took him a good five minutes of staring at the ceiling before he was finally able to push away his duvet and swing his feet onto the scratchy hotel carpet. 

The two of them were on their way to Jurassic World. Louis had been dying to go to the park for years. The tropical island, the resorts, the rides, the real life dinosaurs; it was like one of his childhood fantasies come to life. When his friend Niall had got a job as one of the animal trainers, Louis had been over the moon. Then their other friend Liam got a mechanic job at the park as well, and that had sealed the deal. It had been six months and he and Harry had finally managed to arrange a trip out. 

There was one thing, however, that was dampening Louis’ excitement. The prospect of seeing Liam, after everything that had happened before he went away, was daunting. It was making Louis feel quite ill, in fact. His stomach twisted at the thought of having to even say hello. They hadn’t spoken to each other at all since Liam had left for the job, at least not directly. The only reason Louis knew what Liam had been up to at the park was thanks to their friends’ group messages. Louis missed him and it  _ hurt _ .

Pushing thoughts of Liam from his mind, Louis eventually dressed himself and packed up all the items that had spread across the room during his night’s stay. He headed down to Harry’s room, entering unannounced with his spare key card. Disappointingly, Harry wasn’t doing anything embarrassing. He was waiting at the tiny table, breakfast tray spread out in front of him, concentrating on the leaflet in his hand. 

“Hey,” he greeted. “I’ve been looking at this information guide thing. Apparently, after we get to Costa Rica, the ferry still takes, like, an hour. Niall said he’d meet us at the island dock, so.” He shrugged, spreading more jam on his toast.

Louis slumped into the seat opposite. “How do I look?” he asked abruptly. 

“Um.” Harry raised his eyebrows, gaze flickering across Louis’ body. He’d kept it simple, jeans and a jumper. And if he’d spent a little longer styling his hair into a perfect wave across his head, then so be it. “Why?” Harry asked, clearly suspicious. “What kind of look are you going for?”

“I need to look, like, premium level attractive, right? But casual. Not like I’ve thought about it. Just casual, unintentional hotness.”

“You always look hot,” Harry said simply. Louis tried not to preen. “Who are you trying to impress? It’s only gonna be Liam and Niall.” His eyes lit up in an instant. “Oh, my God. Do you  _ like _ one of them?”

Louis rolled his eyes. “Are you twelve? No, I don’t like one of them,” he lied.

“Shut up. It’s Liam, isn’t it?” Harry replied, expression gleeful. “That’s why you’ve been so weird about this trip.” He let out a small laugh. “Oh my God, it all makes so much sense now.”

“Shut. Up.”

Harry leaned back in his chair. “All right, okay. You’re secret’s safe with me. I will be the best,  _ the best _ wingman you have ever had.” He laughed again, running a hand across his face. Louis shifted uncomfortably. “You and Liam! You’ll be so cute! This is perfect.”

“Harry, please don’t,” he sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“What? Oh, come on,” Harry scoffed. “This isn’t Facebook.”

Louis leveled Harry with a glare. “It’s nothing,” he warned, trying to sound as serious as possible. 

Harry narrowed his eyes and hummed. “You can explain yourself later. We have to check out now anyway.” He pointed to the bacon and egg roll Louis had just picked up. “You can take that with you. Don’t want to be late, can’t stand up Liam now, can we?”

Stuffing as much of his roll into his mouth as he could, he glowered at the back of Harry’s head as they left.

~

Louis loved airports. They were a gateway to another place, like an adventure, or an escape. Filled with people, everyone excited to travel, giggling children and adults ready for a break; it was different to anywhere else. It was the beginning of something new, even just for a week.

One thing Louis didn’t love however, was queuing. It may be tremendously un-British of him, but having to stand in a queue for more than five minutes was a trial. Right now, he was being tested. 

“Why are there so many people?” he groaned for the second time, running a finger across his brow. He watched a family, complete with four point five kids, several aunts and uncles, and possibly a grandparent thrown in, fumble their way through the security gates. “It’s not that hard,” he complained, hands waving through the motions. “Put your shit in the box, walk through the thing.” He turned to Harry. “Why are they making it so hard?”

Harry was leaning against the barrier, unbothered by the wait. “It’s the middle of the summer holidays, Louis. What did you expect?” he asked. “Besides, you and your job are the reason we have to go in peak season, so if I hear you complain one more time I will whack you so hard your mother will feel it.” He waved his small, clear bag of moisturiser and suncream at Louis’ face like a weapon. “Comprende?”

Louis pulled a face. That was true. He had been working as a secondary school teacher for a private school on the edge of Manchester for about four years now. He loved his job, teaching was something he’d always wanted to do. He’d been held back a year when he was at school, so to be able to help his pupils reach their maximum potential was so important to him. It did mean though, that booking holidays was a bit of a pain. 

“Comprende,” he muttered. “You wouldn’t dare hit me, though.”

“No,” Harry admitted. “But pretend like I would.”

Finally, they were free of the crowd and able to roam around the expansive departures lounge. It wasn’t long before they were boarding, the excitement and dread that Louis felt still bubbling inside him. 

While Harry concentrated on the flight safety information, Louis stared out of the window. As the plane took off, the world below sank until the fields of Britain gave way to the endless blue of the ocean.

“Okay,” Harry began with a grin, throwing a complimentary peanut into his mouth. “So, we’re strapped in. Thirty five thousand feet in the air with two and a half hours to kill. Nowhere for you to run.” He turned in his seat so he was facing Louis fully. “What’s going on with you and Liam, then?”

Louis crinkled his nose. “Do we have to do this now?”

“Not at all. Tell you what, when we land, you, me, Niall and Liam can all have a lovely catch up about it,” Harry mocked. “That’d be nice.” He flicked Louis’ shoulder and continued, “What would’ve been nicer is if you had told me that something had happened way earlier. You know, when I could’ve actually helped, instead of finding out at the last minute when you’ve already cocked it up.” Harry narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. “That’s what happened, right? You’ve cocked something up.”

“Why would you assume that?” Louis barked. He was a little offended, but mainly embarrassed as that was precisely what he’d gone and done.

“Because you don’t want to tell me,” Harry shrugged. “And you only don’t want to tell me stuff when you know you’ve done something wrong.”

Louis sank further down his seat. “I’ve not -” he stammered. “He’s - I don’t know.”

“This doesn’t have to be so painful.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Fine, I’ll start you off.” He sat upright, his hands out in front of him. “So, you fancy him?”

“‘Fancy him’,” Louis laughed. “Yeah, I suppose I fancy him. He’s fit. He’s lovely.” 

“What happened, then?”

“Oh, God.” Louis cringed at the memory. He couldn’t believe he was going to have to explain it all to Harry, it was too horrible. “Right,” he sighed. “I don’t remember everything. It was the night before he flew out. Do you remember? He had that party at Zayn’s, and I reckon I was pretty drunk.”

“‘Pretty drunk’?” Harry echoed, with a laugh. “I do remember that night. You were  _ very  _ drunk. You kept asking me to teach you how to fly.”

“Right,” Louis nodded. “Because you had that glittery jacket on. Like an angel. Anyway,” he dismissed Harry’s smirk with a wave of his hand. “Not the point. The point is, I got a little drunk and I kissed him. Liam. On his face. Lip on lip action. It was full on stuff.” He stared at Harry with wide eyes, making sure the point got across.

“That doesn’t sound bad.” Harry shook his head, looking confused. “I don’t remember anything kicking off. He didn’t mess you about?”

“No, not really,” Louis said, his voice squeaking a little. “We, er, sort of had sex.”

Harry stared for a beat. “You - You had sex,” he repeated. “With Liam?” 

“Sort of.”

“How ‘sort of’?”

“I mean, I think we did.” Louis scratched his chin. “I remember I brought him back to mine after.” Louis squinted, trying to picture his memories more clearly. He checked around him and leant closer to Harry, lowering his voice. “We definitely went to my bedroom and I definitely remember taking his clothes off. It’s all a bit of a blur, like, we did stuff.” He grimaced at Harry, whose expression was a mixture of surprise and disgust. “I don’t know if we, yeah, but stuff happened.”

“Okay,” Harry drew out the word, like he wasn’t enjoying having to picture two of his closest friends naked. “Right, wow. Nobody tells me anything.”

“It’s not - Harry, it’s so fucked up, I haven’t even spoken to him about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he wasn’t there in the morning.”

Wrinkles appeared on Harry’s forehead as he frowned. “What?” he asked.

“I think he had to catch his flight? But he didn’t leave a message for me or anything.” Louis bit his lip, fiddling with the lock of his flip down table. “We haven’t spoken since. I was waiting for him to mention it, ‘cause I didn’t know if he was pissed off or something. Then it had been too long, you know, to bring it up again.” He eyed Harry, unsure of his reaction. “So, basically, I fucked it up. I don’t know how, but I was drunk off my face, I fucked him and now he hates me. I’ve ruined any shot I had.”

“No. This isn’t even that bad. You haven’t ruined anything. Do you want something, then? Like a relationship?”

Louis shrugged, his head in his hands. “‘Spose. He’s perfect.” Harry laughed. “What?”

“No, nothing,” he replied, still smirking. “It’s just weird. I never thought you two were anything more than friends.” 

“Well, we weren’t.”

One of the stewardesses stopped in the aisle next to them and leaned her beautifully manicured hand on Louis’ headrest. “Can I get either of you a drink?”

“Oh, hi.” Harry raised his eyebrows at Louis. “Just two cokes, please?” he said as Louis nodded. After the stewardess had moved on Harry asked, “How long have you fancied him?” 

Louis took a sip of his drink, playing for time. “I think - I think for ages,” he said, his gaze flickering between Harry’s eyes. “I think I -” he cut himself off with a groan. “This is going to sound so stupid.”

“It won’t,” Harry assured. “I promise.”

“He just - He makes me feel better. So much better,” he said quietly. “About everything. I think I might love him.” To his horror, he could feel the sting of tears behind his eyes and began to blink furiously to keep them at bay. “I think I love him, and we had sex and I can’t even remember it.” He dropped his head into his hands once more. “I’m a mess.”

“Oh, Lou.” He could hear the pity in Harry’s voice as the other man wrapped an arm around him. “You’re not a mess, babe. Yes, this is a bit of a situation. We’ll work it out, okay. It’s totally fixable.” Harry squeezed his shoulder. “Liam would not have kissed you, let alone anything else if he didn’t feel something for you. You know he overthinks everything, that’ll be all it is.”

“‘Spose.” Louis stared at his nails. “Or, maybe he doesn’t think I’m relationship material.”

“No. You’re a fucking catch, Lou,” Harry spat out, fiercely. “He’d be lucky to be with you. You just need to talk to him.”

“It’s been six months,” Louis scoffed. He knew Harry was right, but it was so hard.

“Well,” Harry maintained. “No time like the present.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, turning back to stare out of the small window. 

Their connecting flight from Madrid to Costa Rica was rocky, the plane seemingly flying through patches of turbulence every five minutes. Any time Louis looked over to Harry, the other man had his eyes firmly closed, his fingers clenched around the arm rests. It was a relief to both of them when they finally landed on solid ground. Louis’ ears hurt from all the popping they’d done.

When they boarded the ferry, though, that’s when the holiday really started. 

“It’s warm, innit?” Louis blurted out as he felt his t-shirt sticking to his back. Manchester felt like a million miles away. “Fuck.” He fished out his sunglasses from the bottom of his rucksack.

“Maybe a little too warm,” Harry added. He surveyed the glittering blue sea in front of them and undid a few buttons on his shirt.

The ferry cut through the ocean and Louis and Harry stayed on deck to get the best view. The wind was sharp, but a pleasant relief in the heat. Finally, through the mist, Isla Nublar appeared on the horizon. 

“Shit, Harry,” Louis gasped, tugging on Harry’s arm. “There it is.” Below the bright blue sky, above the twinkling water, the island floated like something from a photograph. For a moment, Louis forgot his nerves and was overcome by the sight. The island rose into the sky, mossy mountains towering above the wide bays. The rolling green continued up high into the sky, like olympus. If Louis looked closely, he could see the outlines of buildings emerging from the forests. He kept his eyes peeled, wondering if he’d be able to see the iconic park gates from so far away.

“Oh, wow,” Harry breathed at his shoulder. The two of them smiled at each other. “Louis,” Harry laughed. “I think this week is going to be pretty damn amazing.”

~

**Workers’ Village, Jurassic World, Isla Nublar**

It was hot in his workshop and Liam couldn’t hear much over the sound of the car engine running. He had the garage door open, leading to the grassed garden outside. Beyond the distant fenced off perimeter of the workers’ houses, the green and wet rainforest tumbled up along the mountainside. Every now and then the faint rumble of the monorail would sound, or the far off roar of one of the park’s more ferocious inhabitants would echo through the trees.

Liam wasn’t thinking about dinosaurs, though. He was thinking of Louis. 

It felt like his permanent state of being, recently, as Louis’ visit with Harry edged closer and closer. Liam would never forget the day Louis first walked into the The Horn in Hand where he used to work, all those years ago. It had been the middle of winter, the Christmas lights had been hung up all around Nottingham city centre, and the street outside had been twinkling in the rain. 

Harry, Louis, Niall and Zayn had arrived, wrapped up against the cold. Liam had expected Harry and Zayn, they were part of the regular student crowd, always coming in at the same time on a Friday. Louis and Niall, however, had been a surprise. 

“All right, Payno?” Zayn had asked. His hair was a mess and he’d run his hand through it, tucking a cigarette behind his ear for later. “This is Niall,” he’d said, waving to the blond boy next to him. “And Harry’s friend, Louis.” Liam had nodded, politely. “They both go to Trent.”

Louis had stepped up to the bar, leaning against the railing right in front of where Liam stood. His hair had been damp from the rain, bursts of red bunched across his winter-paled skin. Liam had thought he was beautiful, right from the start. “Master of the house Payne, then?” Louis had said, his voice a little rough. “Harry’s told me all about you.” 

“Has he?” Liam sent Harry a sideways look as the other three boys had gone off to find seats. “All good I hope.”

“Yes, it was.” Louis smirked. “I’m determined to change that.”

Liam had huffed out a short laugh. “Okay.”

“He’s trying to recruit you to the gang.” Louis had muttered it like he was sharing a secret. Like he trusted Liam with such sensitive information.

“Sorry?” Liam gave him a wary smile, fiddling with his till key. “Did you want some drinks?”

“Yeah, er, two snakebites, a mojito, and a double vodka coke, ta.” Louis had nodded as Liam got to work mixing the lager and cider. “And Harry, I mean. He’s wants you to be part of our band of merry men. I’ve been sent to put out feelers.” 

Liam watched as Louis wiggled his fingers. “Right.”

Louis had spent the rest of the while Liam poured the drinks chatting away. “When do you get off shift?” he’d asked, a curious lilt to his question. 

“Er.” Liam checked the clock. “In about forty minutes.” He placed the last of the drinks on the bar. “That’s ten pounds thirty.”

“Sick. Can you stick an umbrella in the mojito? You’re a dream, mate,” he’d said, as Liam complied. “We’re all going to see the new batman film.” 

“That’s nice,” Liam had replied, unsure why Louis was sharing this information with him. He often had people overshare with him when they were too far gone, but it had been a bit early in the evening for that.

“Yes, it is nice, isn’t it?” Louis had laughed, rolling his eyes. “I was actually asking you to come with us. Zayn said you’re a big fan.”

At that moment, Harry had shouted from near the grand fireplace. “Louis,” he’d called. “Have you persuaded him yet?”

“I think so,” Louis had yelled back, not taking his eyes off Liam. “You are up for it, yeah? I swear we’re all right. I mean, you know Harry and Zayn are legit, but me and Nialler are as well.” Louis’ gaze had twinkled across the bar as he’d finished, “Just not quite as clever.”

Liam had frowned at that. For some reason he hadn’t liked the thought of this stranger, so full of life, putting himself down. “Don’t say that. You got into uni, didn’t you?”

“Don’t think that means much,” Louis had dismissed with a shrug. “‘Sides, you’re not in uni. Doesn’t mean you’re an idiot.” There was a moment where neither had spoken, the sounds of the pub around them filling the space. “Meet us by the pool table when you’re finished, okay?” Louis had asked.

“Okay,” Liam replied, unable to deny him.

When he was at school, he’d never really had a proper group of friends, but that’s what Harry, Louis, Niall and Zayn soon became. Friends; real, true friends. The type that you could share your deepest secrets with. The type that you could make mistakes with. The type that you’d always be there for, to bring them back from the edge. 

They were the first people that Liam told about his bisexuality. They were the people that had visited him in hospital, when he’d rolled his car off the A50. They were the ones who Liam had gone out of his way to comfort, when they were stressing over exams.

Then Niall had gotten him his job at Jurassic World and he’d had to leave. It was hard enough for Liam when the other four had graduated and left Nottingham for their home towns. He’d been so used to having Louis a quick twenty minute walk away, that being separated by a two hour drive was horrible. 

Even considering the idea of moving halfway across the world was almost unbearable. You couldn’t get much further from Nottingham if you tried.

And then he’d gone and slept with Louis. Even thinking about it down caused a him to cringe. He’d slept with one of his best friends and left in the morning without saying a word. It wasn’t that he had regretted it. Quite the opposite; he’d had feelings for Louis since the moment they had met. When Louis had kissed him that night it had felt like all he’d been hoping for and more. His lips had been so soft. His smile had been so charming. His touch had been a gentle caress. Yes, they’d been drunk, but it had still been one of the most wonderful nights Liam had ever spent with anybody. 

If he was honest with himself, he still thought about it when he was alone. The golden hue of Louis’ skin, the feel of strong legs wrapped around him, the quiet whimpers Louis made in the dark.

But Liam knew that Louis didn’t feel for him like he felt for Louis. The other man was a joker, a free spirit, and he’d been drinking a lot. He knew it didn’t have any greater meaning. Louis had just wanted to celebrate and he’d always been over familiar with people. It had been a fun night, and a sweet goodbye. By ignoring Louis for the past six months, Liam had gone and made it awkward. He’d ruined what was, quite possibly, one of the best relationships he had and now he was going to have to face the music.

He let out a desperate groan and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He wished Zayn was coming as well. The other man was the only person Liam had told about his feelings for Louis, though he’d sworn him to secrecy. It would have been nice to have an ally on the island, but he knew Zayn was too busy with his new job.

“I know they’re not getting in until three,” a familiar voice came from the doorway. “But you might want to start thinking about getting ready. You look like you’ve been washing in oil.”

Liam turned to where Niall leant against the door frame. He raised his eyebrows at the other man, making note of the the dubious looking stains covering a large portion of his cargo trousers. 

“You don’t look any better,” he responded. The two of them had lived together for almost half a year now, as long as Liam had been out there. They’d become quite the odd couple, in their little worker’s two up, two down. He didn’t really know why he hadn’t told Niall about him and Louis. He hadn’t spoken to Harry about it, as he assumed Louis had needed the other man to talk to. Niall, though, Liam felt a little like Niall was Switzerland. He was safe territory. If Liam told him, he knew Niall would be disappointed, and he’d lose a little of his respect. It was selfish, perhaps, but Liam needed Niall. So, he kept his secret to himself.

Niall clicked his tongue. “I’ve been down at the ranch, feeding the little ones. I’m getting changed now anyway.” He watched for a while as Liam continued to fiddle under the hood of the car. “I can’t wait to see the lads again, it’s going to be a right laugh. We’re meeting them at the dock, yeah?”

“I don’t know.” Liam bit his lip, keeping a steady eye on his work. He was fairly sure the clutch cable needed replacing. “I thought you were doing it.”

“What? You’re not coming?” Niall sounded put out.

“No, I will come and see them,” Liam rushed. “I’ve just got to finish this.”

The tinny radio played in the quiet, underlining the awkwardness that Liam felt. “You mean, this piece of crap that’s been waiting in the shed for three months?” Niall started, kicking the car lightly with his boot. “You’ve suddenly realised that you have to get it finished today?”

“Yes.”

Niall scoffed, clearly not buying what Liam was selling. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“No.”

After a beat Niall seemed to give up. “Fine, okay. I’ll bring them back to the hotel, then? See you there?”

It was a question. One that Liam wasn’t sure he could answer. “Sounds good,” he offered, voice strained.

“You better be there,” Niall muttered and he pushed down on Liam’s head as he passed him.

“I will be,” Liam mumbled. He turned his head, though still didn’t look Niall directly in the eye. His gaze managed to reach chest level, but no further.

“All right,” Niall sighed as he headed out into the open sunshine. “Don’t work too hard.” Liam was alone again, with his thoughts and his worry.

~

**Ferry Landing, Jurassic World, Isla Nublar**

It was ridiculous, Louis thought to himself, that such a place existed. The sun beat down on them as they stepped onto the dock. They were swept with the crowd, following the shiny corporate signs towards the monorail station. 

He was already blown away. There were uniformed workers dotted all over the place, each with a helpful, glimmering white smile splitting their face. A large map was pegged into the ground, further inland, just off the chipped, faux-rustic forest path. He knew he was getting ahead of himself, but Louis couldn’t help checking the trees above him, incase some sort of prehistoric creature was hiding in the canopy.

“Oi, hey! Harry!” came a much welcomed voice in the distance. “Louis! Guys, over here!” The two of them stopped in their tracks, causing a few murmurs from the people behind them. Louis felt ill. It would be fine, he tried to convince himself. It was just Liam, it would be fine. 

Eventually his eyes landed on Niall. He looked just as he always had done, though his skin was bronzed and hair bleached by the sun. The park’s logo emblazoned across his chest made it obvious he was an employee. As he began to run towards them, however, he looked entirely odd compared to the professional workers around him. 

“Bloody hell,” he cackled, jumping up and wrapping his arms around both of them. 

Louis’ panic was soon replaced by underlying worry as it dawned on him that Liam wasn’t coming to greet them. 

“Where’s Liam?” he asked, as they broke apart, trying to keep his tone casual.

“He’s caught up with work,” Niall dismissed with a wave of his hand. “He’ll meet us at the hotel.” He was still smiling, and Louis tried to take comfort in that. “We’ve bagged the best rooms for you. I mean, you could stay at ours, ‘course, but this place is the dog’s bollocks, I promise.”

“Sounds lovely,” Harry said, his voice a soft rumble.

“Harry!” Niall beamed, giving his friend a clap on the arm. “I’ve missed your ridiculous face.”

“We skyped literally,” he looked down at his watch, “twenty eight hours ago.”

“I know, but in the flesh. It’s been so long.” Harry and Louis grinned at each other as they watched Niall’s smile widen further. “Still kicking legal arse?”

Harry ducked his head. “Trying to, anyway.”

“And my little Louis,” Niall teased, pinching Louis’ cheeks. Louis whacked his hand away. “Louis, Louis. Give me a hug, mate.” As Niall pulled him into another tight embrace, Louis pressed his face into his friend’s shoulder. He’d missed Niall a lot since he’d been gone. He was such an uplifting person to have around, when he wasn’t there, you truly felt it. “Ah, this week is going to be fucking off the charts, guys,” Niall carried on. 

A calming female voice came through the station speakers, announcing, “ _ Welcome to Jurassic World. The monorail will soon leave the station. Passengers are advised to stand clear of the doors _ .”

“Come on.” Niall nodded his head to the crowded carriage ahead of them. The metallic lines of the monorail stood out starkly against the wild greenery behind. “We miss this one, we’ll be waiting around for another twenty minutes.”

Having Niall with them was a treat and Louis could tell the families around them thought so too. The monorail glided across the island, slicing through forest and mountainside alike. As they sailed passed the Botanical Gardens, Niall provided an expert explanation of the various species living there and the history of its growth, providing food for the dinosaur inhabitants. 

Throughout the whole thing Louis had a stupid grin on his face, delighted to be reunited with his old friend. He was really quite proud of Niall. He’d worked hard on his studies and he’d landed himself his dream job. Sure, his aunt was a higher up in the company, but she was a tough one. She would never have hired Niall if she hadn’t thought he was good enough. The engrossed faces of the adults in the carriage surrounded them proved the point. The kids, though, were plastered to the monorail windows in search of their first dinosaur sighting.

“That’s cool,” Harry said once Niall had finished.  

“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited to see you guys again,” he blushed, realising how much he’d been talking. “We’ll stop by the hotel in a bit, get you settled in. Sorry.”

“Stop apologising, mate,” Harry laughed. He’d tied his long hair back in a bun once more after it had begun to frizz in the humidity. “It’s amazing, this place. I’ve been here half an hour and I’m already in love. It’s really good to see you. We’re going to have a great time, no matter what we do.”  

“Oh, fuck me,” Louis blurted out, as he saw the view from the window. Harry was quick to follow his gaze as Niall simply smirked.

Ahead of them, the park gates loomed. He’d read about these; they were exact replicas of the gates from the original park design that had been abandoned twenty two years ago. He couldn’t believe they were actually here. He’d assumed they’d want to get rid of every last aspect of the old park, after all those stories of dinosaurs escaping and people being eaten. 

There they were, though, the wooden gates opening automatically as the monorail approached. The concrete posts reached high into the sky, small fire lights placed along its edges. Across the top the words ‘Jurassic World’ stood proud in blue and silver.

Children around them began to squeal excitedly and the low buzz of anticipation hummed around the whole carriage. Louis turned to Harry, as the monorail passed through the gates and into the park, the two of them grinning like idiots. Several years worth of waiting had been building to this moment and Louis could feel it thrumming through his veins. Niall stood next to them, arms folded, taking in the scene with a smug smile.

In the carriage a voice from the speakers overhead said simply, “ _ Welcome to Jurassic World. _ ”

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

_ “Discovery, they believe, is inevitable.  _

_ So they just try to do it first. That's the game in science.” _

**Casa de Caballeros, Jurassic World, Isla Nublar**

“Oh, fancy. They have a spa. Harry, check it out.”

Their hotel was beyond luxurious. Louis felt out of place standing in the lobby as Niall checked them in. Around him, the marble floor and walls glistened. An oversized chandelier hung from the cathedral-like ceiling, as children giggled and played underneath. Light, tropical music played, as if trying to capture a spark of the culture of mainland Costa Rica. It failed, quite considerably, Louis thought. But then, nobody was here for Costa Rica. They were here for dinosaurs. 

“You’ve got the Malcolm Suite,” Niall said, as he and Harry approached the still overwhelmed Louis. “Floor twelve.”

Their room faced away from the park, the view from the window of dewey trees surrounding an impressive waterfall. Louis strode across to the balcony, pushing the windows open in his haste to see outside. The rock face outside seemed to go on forever, the water falling at an alarming speed. Now that Louis had opened the doors, the noise of the water crashing into the rocks roared. He could almost smell the dirt, mingled with a faint wash of hot dogs from the main square around the corner.

Harry jumped onto one of the large beds at one side of the room. “Yes, this is the dream. No studying, no work, no responsibilities.” He folded his arms behind his head. “I think I might just stay here forever.”

As Louis chuckled, Niall dropped down into one of the plush chairs near the balcony. “So,” he started. “I’ve pulled some strings with my aunt. We’re going to do the best of everything.” He shook his head, smiling to himself. “I’ve been dying to do some of this stuff since I arrived. We’re taking a boat up to the top of island on Thursday, to have some lunch with the animals. And I thought we could have one night camping. It’s, like, fancy camping though,” he said, turning to Harry, who had looked a little dubious. “With candles and shit. There’s Origins nightclub in the hotel.” Niall pointed to Louis, and he dutifully inclined his head. “But I figured we could leave that for a day or so, ‘till you’ve adjusted. I’ll take you on one of my feeding tours, give you the VIP experience, yeah?” Niall continued, started to count off on his fingers. “I think we’re booked in for a tour of the labs, later though, if that’s okay? Should be able to fit in some hatchlings? We should definitely check out the Gyrosphere tour at some point. Then there’s the helicopter tour, or rafting, or bungee jumping if you fancy. Oh!” He sat forward in the chair, eyes wide. “You could feed the t-rex! I’ve been trying to get Liam to do it for ages, but he keeps chickening out.”

During Niall’s rambling, Louis had unzipped his suitcase and was pulling out shoes and jackets, dumping them unceremoniously on the floor. “‘Feed the t-rex’?” he scoffed. “I don’t think so, mate. I’ve heard the stories of this place when it first started. There’s no way I’m putting myself anywhere near a hungry tyrannosaurus, thank you very much.”

Harry let out a grunt in agreement and Niall relented. “Fair enough. It’s much safer now though, honestly. We can hit up the golf at some point, instead. Need to get my swing back, been a bit lax.” He frowned for a second, apparently contemplating his missed golfing opportunities, before setting off again. “We can do the Bamboo Forest, or the gardens. The Underwater Observatory is killer. Or the Cretaceous Cruise! Definitely do that. There’s the water park, and the Gondola Lift, and the Aviary. The Innovation Centre is worth a visit, as well.”

“Don’t forget to breathe, Niall,” Harry laughed, sitting up on the bed and swinging his legs over the side to look properly at his friend.

“Sorry.” Niall blushed. “Overexcited.”

Louis bit his lip, toying with his phone charger as he continued unpacking. He weighed his words, not wanting Niall to get suspicious. “Didn’t you say Liam was going to meet us here?” 

The question lingered for a moment as Niall thought it through. “Yeah,” he replied eventually. “I don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s been a bit weird the past week or so. I’ll try and get him on the walkie, see where he is.”

As Niall was distracted trying to pull his radio out of his pocket, Louis sent Harry a look. Instead of providing reassurance, Harry just shrugged and Louis felt his stomach tighten.

“ _ He’s been called in to do some work on one of the valley safari trucks, _ ” came the static-laden response to Niall’s question on the walkie-talkie.  _ “Should be done soon _ .” 

“I thought Daph was on breakdown cover?” Niall asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“ _ She was, but Liam said he was nearby, so. _ ”

With a dismissive shake of his head, Niall tucked the radio away and cocked his head towards the hotel room door. “We’ll catch up with him later. He’s being a grump anyway, let him shake it off.” He raised his arms, smile reappearing. “Don’t want to ruin the start of our holiday! Come on, there’s so much for you guys to do!” He turned around to face Harry and Louis as the two of them followed him out. It was with a twinkle in his eye that he said, “I want to show you the gang.”

“The gang?” Louis laughed, glad for Niall’s enthusiasm.

Niall nodded. “My babies,” he said, leaving it at that.

They left the sanctity of the hotel and were immediately engulfed by the hustle and bustle of the park. Families were roaming the food court, with loud calls to stick together. At the edges of the path, vendors were selling t-shirts, mugs, magnets and a whole variety of logo-covered souvenirs. 

Out of the corner of his eye Louis could see Harry grinning wildly. It was funny, he never imagined that Harry would like this kind of place, where animals were bred and kept for human entertainment, and good times were sold at the highest price going. There was such a happy vibe there though, that it was infectious. 

They circled the small lake in the middle of the main park and came to a large sign, ‘Gentle Giants Petting Zoo’. Around them, the youngest children Louis had seen all day tottered along excitedly, their grabbing hands stretched out in front of them as they toddled around the corner, parents running helplessly after.

When the petting zoo came into sight, Louis had to bite his lip to hold back an adoring squeal. 

“They’re dinosaurs,” Harry rushed out, his hands clenched into fists near his chin. “Oh, my God. Niall, they’re actually dinosaurs!” 

They’d stopped ahead of a small enclosure, the glass barriers at waist level. Inside, playing in the dust, were an array of baby dinosaurs, their keepers watching carefully from the sidelines. “They’re the cutest dinosaurs I’ve ever seen,” Louis whined.

“They’re the only dinosaurs you’ve ever seen,” Harry teased. “Niall, they are awesome.”

“Actually,” Niall smirked. “They’re us.” 

“What?” Louis laughed, as Harry rolled his eyes.

Niall cackled, walking around the edge of the enclosure and opening the gates to let them in. A handful of children were inside, feeding the small dinosaurs with gleeful expressions. “These are my hatchlings. These five.” He pointed to a group of slightly smaller baby triceratops near the back of the enclosure. “Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall and Zayn.” 

Harry ducked his head, strands of hair falling across his face. “You have not.”

“I have,” Niall gloated. “They’re not big enough for the kids to ride them yet. Need a month or so more to grow.”

“ _ Niall, _ ” Louis sighed, staring down at the dinosaurs. They came up to just above his knee. The small triceratop Liam and Louis were play fighting in the dirt, Louis noticed with a twinge. It was a little depressing to watch, considering how effectively Liam had been avoiding him in real life. “Harry, get a picture of me with my dino baby,” he said, crouching down next to his dinosaur self. Dinosaur Louis was a slightly more purple shade than the rest, though his horns were perfectly straight. “How heavy is he? Can I lift him?”

Niall laughed. “You can try,” he sang. “And it’s she.”

“Oh, fuck me,” Louis groaned as he tried to pull the triceratop toward him. “Sorry.” He pulled a face as a dad near them scowled. “Weighs a tonne. ‘She’?”

“Yep. All the animals here are female. So they can’t breed, you know. Gives us control over population levels.” Niall shrugged. Louis smiled while Harry took his picture. “Figured I’d keep the names. Reminded me of home.”

“Aw, Niall.” Harry reached out with two hands, stroking dinosaur Harry and Niall just behind their newly formed horns.

“This is too cute,” Louis chuckled. “Hello, little Louis.” He watched as the small dinosaur shoved its head under Louis’ palm, eager to be petted. “Clever girl,” Louis cooed. “You’re the cleverest, aren’t you?” At that point dinosaur Louis let out a high pitched squeal of joy and Louis began outlining a plan to hide her in his luggage and take her back home with him.

It took a while for Niall to tear Harry and Louis away from the tiny dinosaurs. It was only with the promise of something truly spectacular that they made their way back around the bay.

Louis sucked at the straw of his sugary drink. He’d given in and bought himself a novelty cup, with a plastic tyrannosaurus head on top. The first of many unnecessary purchases he imagined he’d be making that week. He could always write it off as present for his little nephew. 

They were in the splash zone of the mosasaurus feeding show. Behind the immense viewing area, the dark green wilderness of the rainforest spread across the mountainside. Not too far away Louis noticed the crawling thick plume of mist heading their way. It was ahead of them, however, in the vast depths of the lake that the action was taking place. Louis didn’t know exactly what a mosasaurus was, but from the set up he figured it would be like a dolphin show. 

He sat up a little straighter when, from the side of the lake, a giant crane lifted a huge fish into the air, hanging it over the water. As it swung closer, the audience gasped. Louis squinted his eyes. He sent Harry a curious look, to see if the other man was seeing the same thing.

“Is that a -” Harry asked, his voice slightly higher than usual.

“Great White?” Niall finished for him. “Yeah. We only get those in if someone’s caught one accidently. Normally we go for larger fish, maybe a Reef shark now and then.” The late afternoon sun was bouncing off the clear blue of the lake, shining brightly on their faces. “Old Mos’ has got lucky today.”

“Old Mos.” Harry laughed at Louis’ dry tone. “Right.” Louis shook his head with a small smile. “I can’t believe you and Liam actually work here.”

“Nah,” Niall huffed, throwing popcorn into his mouth. “Neither can I.”

There were two small children in the row  ahead of them wearing hats that resembled velociraptor heads. They were pointing at the shark carcass hanging above the water, their shrill giggles cutting through the murmuring crowd. 

Louis wished Liam was there.

The woman at the front podium carried on her presentation as the shark swung above. “The mosasaurus was thought to have hunted near the surface of the water, where it preyed on anything it could sink it’s teeth into. This included turtles, large fish, and even smaller mosasaurs.” She turned to look out to the lake and the several thousand pairs of eyes in the audience followed her gaze. “Let’s see if she’s still hungry.”

A thrill of excitement was coursing through Louis’ body. He could tell Harry was excited too, his camera poised, ready to capture the action. One second the water was calm, the next, bursting from the depths, the mosasaurus rose, teeth first, up into the air. The crowd erupted in an almighty roar as the gigantic creature’s jaw snapped around the shark, ripping it from it’s harness. Louis’ heart was in his throat as he watched the beast. It was so close to them, he could see it’s teeth, it’s scales. The dinosaur let out a bellowing roar and Louis could feel it shaking his bones. It was terrifying. 

When the mosasaurus dropped back into the water, the crowd went wild, a wash of water cascading over them. Rapturous applause broke out and Louis joined in, letting out a relieved laugh as the water calmed again. Astonished conversation was bubbling around them and Harry sent him a look of open mouthed awe. “Fuck me,” he said. “That was real! It was huge!” It dawned on Louis then in a way it hadn’t before that these animals were really quite dangerous. He was glad they had Niall with them, who knew what he was doing. 

Niall hummed in between them. “Yeah. Don’t want to be leaning too far over the railings, that’s for sure.”

~ 

Waiters swerved in between the tables, carrying plates and trays of drinks above customers’ heads with the greatest ease. The three of them were in Winston’s Steakhouse, waiting for Liam to meet them. At the far end of the restaurant Louis could see flames rising from the grill in regular bursts. 

“He is coming. He’s excited to see you guys, I promise.” Niall looked almost apologetic as he stared out the window, like he could will Liam into existence. “Sometimes it just gets a little mad around here.”

Louis slumped back into his chair, keeping his focus on the menu. The pacific salmon sounded nice. When he felt Harry squeeze his leg, he figured it was just a supportive gesture. When Harry continued to squeeze, however, his fingertips digging in painfully to Louis’ skin, he raised his head with a frown. “Watch it -” Harry wasn’t listening, though. He and Niall were both smiling towards the entrance. Louis felt his stomach drop as he turned around.

Oh, shit, he thought. He wasn’t prepared for this. He wasn’t prepared at all. 

There he was. Liam Payne, lingering in the doorway with a vaguely lost expression on his face as he searched for them in the crowded restaurant. 

“Hey,” Niall shouted, waving him over. “Payne, you eejit. Over here.” 

Louis watched as he headed towards them with long strides. He wore heavy boots and cargo trousers, with a worn blue shirt. On top he had on a sleeveless light, leather jacket which emphasised the muscle he appeared to have built up since Louis had seen him last. He looked good. His skin was tanned, he’d grown his beard out a little and his hair was longer, waving slightly where he’d pushed it back across his head. 

Louis was suddenly, alarmingly self conscious of his sweaty t-shirt and his trainers that were falling apart. He took a deep breath and smiled as Liam reached them. 

“Liam,” he croaked. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Liam replied. His expression was a little strained, his gaze dancing across Louis and landing on the other two behind him. Liam wrapped his arms around Harry and Niall in turn, exchanging smiles and hearty slaps on the back. Turning to Louis, the two of the stumbled into a hug, one of the more uncomfortable hugs Louis had ever experienced. He could feel himself blushing at the sheer awkwardness of it all, and ducked his head, inadvertently burying his nose in Liam’s shoulder.

He smelt of leather and oil and something just like Louis remembered. 

It came as a surprise to him, the sharp, almost violent wash of anger that rolled through his body as the two of them broke apart. 

Liam smiled awkwardly at his hands before shuffling around the table to sit next to Niall. 

“Sorry I took ages,” he started, his smile warm and open as the Harry snickered. “There was a breakdown, you know. Can’t really leave people stranded in the middle of dinosaur-infested nowhere.” His eyes glistened with mirth at his own joke.

“No.” Louis drew out the words, unsure of how to react to the situation.

“You having fun so far?” Liam asked, unfolding the menu and sending toothy smile to a passing waitress. It was like he thought everything was fine. Like he hadn’t been ignoring Louis all day, hadn’t been ignoring him for half a year.

“Yes,” Louis snapped.

Niall frowned at him from across the table, though Louis couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed. Harry sent him a weary glance. “Er, yeah,” Niall laughed, bemusedly. “We saw Mos. And we paid my babies a visit.”

“Cool.” Liam nodded. He laid his hand on Harry’s forearm for a beat. “So. How’ve you been?”

“Good, yeah. I’ve been given a new recruit to manage a work. They’re pretty keen, so it’s not too bad. Always late though,” Harry replied, casually. “Bought a new car.”

“Nice.” The excited chatter of families around them was loud. “And, er, you, Louis? Been okay?” Liam trailed off, as if reading Louis mind. 

As it was, Louis was silently fuming. He wouldn’t have been surprised if steam started billowing from his ears. He didn’t answer Liam, but gripped his cutlery tightly in his hand, skin going white where it pressed against the metal. 

“Am I missing something?” Niall ask. He sounded like he was trying to make a joke, though it fell flat.

“No,” Liam burst out. “No, not at all. Just, Louis and I had a bit of a -” His skin darkened in a blush. “That is, at my leaving party, there was a bit of an incident.”

“Incident?” Harry squawked. 

Louis stood up, his chair scraping against the tiled floor. “Excuse me,” he said, tersely. “I need a smoke.”

Niall’s voice, when it came, was cautious. “There’s no smoking.”

“What?”

“There’s no smoking on the island,” Niall said. He grimaced in an apology. “Like, at all.”

Louis took a deep breath, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Fine. I’m going for a walk. Get me a steak, yeah?” he asked, voice loud. “Well done.”

“Louis.” 

He could hear Liam calling him but he ignored it, stalking outside to the square.

Truth be told, he didn’t really know why he was so upset. He wasn’t sure that he would do anything differently. It’s not as if Louis had gone out of his way to show Liam he was fine with everything. He’d been hoping, though, that Liam would surprise him. That it was all a hilarious misunderstanding and that they could have a good laugh about how stupid they’d been. Instead, all he’d done was confirm Louis’ fears; that it had meant nothing to him and that Louis had damaged their friendship, maybe beyond repair. 

After sulking under the clear island skies for a few long minutes, Louis felt himself calm down. His eyes followed two woman across the way. They were laughing openly, their elbows knocking together as they walked. With a sigh, Louis headed back inside. The blast of the air conditioning cooled his skin, raising the hairs on his arms. 

He could hear Harry talking as he moved closer, clearly in the middle of one of his winding stories. 

“... didn’t just walk between the towers, he did it  _ eight times _ . One thousand, three hundred feet. They dropped all the charges in the - Oh,” Harry cut himself short when he saw Louis approaching. “The wanderer returns.”

“Hey,” Louis breathed, dropping into his seat. “Have you ordered?”

Niall pushed an opened bottle towards him. “Yeah. Got you a beer.” He had a small smile on his face. Louis was almost certain the other two had filled him in on what had happened before Liam left. He tried to push away the ever-present embarrassment he felt.

“Cheers,” he muttered, before he took a few long sips. The taste of hops washed along his tongue, a relief after the stress of the day.

“I’m sorry, Louis.”

Liam was quiet when he spoke. Louis didn’t look up at him until he’d set his bottle down on the table. The other man’s lips were downturned, a slight crease across his forehead. Louis huffed. Of course Liam wouldn’t have meant anything by it. Louis couldn’t even be mad at him for a moment without feeling guilty about it. 

“Yeah, well,” Louis sighed. “Whatever. Let’s just move on. Don’t know why I’m angry. It’s not a big deal,” he lied.

Liam frowned at the wood of the table and Louis felt entirely wrong footed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “No, not a big deal,” Liam echoed, softly.

“So, that was pretty awkward,” Niall quipped. 

Nobody answered and Louis could see in his periphery Harry rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Anyway, yeah,” Harry dragged the words out, catching everyone’s attention once more. “And all the charges were dropped. He just had to do a performance in Central Park and he got away with it.” He picked up the threads of his story with ease, allowing Louis a little rest bite from his thoughts. 

Later, once their food had been cleared and they’d killed a few rounds between them, Liam cornered him as they followed Niall’s lead away from the centre.

“Louis, I am sorry,” he rushed out and Louis raised an eyebrow at his eagerness. “I didn’t mean to make it weird between us, I just didn’t know what to say to you. Then it had been too long.” He waved a hand over his shoulder and bit his lip. “I was just trying not to mess up our friendship, that’s all it was. I’m sorry I upset you.”

The afternoon was ticking along and the crowds in the park were just beginning to thin out as families headed off back to their hotels for a rest. Louis scuffed his shoes against the floor and grimaced. Liam wanted to stay friends, that was understandable. Louis’ hopes for anything more were clearly not shared.

“No, I know,” he began, knowing that it he would have to lie a little to keep the peace. “I’m sorry, too, I guess. For being shitty about it. I could’ve spoken to you. I thought you were avoiding me.” He smiled, turning to look at his friend. He had missed him so much, it was nice to be talking to him again, even if it wasn’t like normal. “I thought - I thought you didn’t  _ want  _ to speak to me.”

“No,” Liam whined.

“Well, good. That’s good. I don’t -” Louis ducked his head, wondering if he should say anything. “I don’t even really remember it, so.” 

“You don’t?” 

Louis shook his head and was surprised to see Liam’s face drop. It took a moment for him to understand why. “Oh,” he burst out. “No, it wasn’t - I mean, I was, like, lucid.” He widened his eyes. “All consensual, don’t panic. Just, er -” He pulled a face. “ _ Misjudged. _ ”

“Oh, good.” Liam laughed in relief, rubbing his hand across his jaw. “It was - I mean, it was good. No, er, no need to be embarrassed or anything.” His eyes twinkled and Louis felt a small fluttering in his stomach. Good God he wished he remembered it.

“Right,” he laughed. He shoved Liam playfully, causing the other man to swerve off the path. “Friends again?”

Liam hummed, sending Louis a fond smile. “We’ve always been friends.”

Their surrendered silence was interrupted when Harry whined, up ahead, “Where are we even going? I’ve been awake for five hundred hours now.”

“Don’t be such a drama queen,” Louis yelled. He pulled a face at Harry simply pouted back.

“You’re going to love it, Harry. I absolutely promise you,” Niall replied, undeterred. “We’re going to see the ‘raptors in action.”

~

The four by four Liam was driving bounced along the bumpy dirt track towards the velociraptor training grounds. 

He mulled over his conversation with Louis as the other three chatted in the back. He hadn’t really known what he had been expecting, though the thinly disguised anger coming from the other man earlier certainly wasn’t it. 

Sneaking a look in the rear view mirror at a now much more animated Louis chatting to Harry and Niall, he pressed his lips together. He supposed that he would probably be a little annoyed, too, if a friend stopped speaking to him after a casual hook up. Because it wasn’t a big deal. Liam had to remember that.

It had been a slap in the face to lay his eyes on Louis again. He’d been expecting it, sure, but it still stung. Louis had look just like Liam remembered. Like summer evenings at the pub. Like playing board games while it rained outside. Like days spent together wearing ratty old clothes with messy hair. He cursed himself for being so nostalgic after something that was clearly dead and buried. That hadn’t existed in the first place.

The sun was sinking a little in the sky and the air began to cool as they continued to put more distance between themselves and the main park.

Liam had only been to the training grounds once before, as he didn’t really have much need to be up there. It was more Niall’s bag. The other man was always updating him on how Peter, the lead trainer, was teaching the ‘raptors new things. Niall wasn’t actually assigned to the ‘raptors, but Peter was fond of him and let him stay to watch. Niall had even mentioned that Peter had let him in on a few sessions now and then.

As the car neared the enclosure, Liam slowed down. The trees ahead of them shook and jerked ominously. He and Niall shared a look. They both knew it was a perfectly normal sight, though the nervous expressions on visitor’s faces were always fun. 

Harry and Louis didn’t disappoint. 

“Er,” Harry croaked. “Is this it? They’re, like, inside a thing, right?” He pressed the tips of his splayed out fingers together.

Louis let out a breathy laugh. “You mean a cage, Harold?”

“Cage, yeah,” Harry replied, distractedly. 

The tree canopy started to shake once more. Peter must have been running through some hunting exercising with them, Liam thought. He leant back towards the rear seats of the car to clap Harry on the back. “Of course they are,” he reassured. “Nothing to worry about. The people in charge are experts, okay? Safe as houses.”

“This is the real VIP stuff, lads,” Niall added as they jumped out of the car. Liam watched as he rubbed his hands together, clearly excited to show Harry and Louis what Peter had managed to achieve with the ‘raptors.

Inside the clearing in the forest ahead of them, the training enclosure loomed. It was a touch more intimidating than any of the other enclosures on the island. Not made for public viewing, it lacked the pleasing, simple and confident design of the main park’s fencing. This fence was built for one reason only; to keep the dinosaurs in. There was no reason to worry about calming visitor’s nerves here. 

The electric fence towered above them, it’s thick cabling spreading out across the clearing and out of view. 

Liam heard Louis whisper a quiet, “Fuck me,” next to him. 

A crash sounded in the distance and Harry and Louis startled while Niall cackled. Liam hesitated for a second before placing a his hand gently on Louis’ elbow. To steady him, because that’s what friends did. Louis’ skin was hot underneath his palm and he could feel it as Louis stiffened.

From beyond the treeline emerged an middle-aged man, his boots caked in mud and his temple glistening with sweat where his fine greying hair stopped short. It was Peter, the lead trainer. 

“Horan, lad.” The rocky ground crunched under his feet as Peter welcomed them. The trainer made for a intimidating sight; a mix between drill sergeant and head teacher. The effect was always ruined, however, when he spoke. His wide smile spread to his eyes and his cheerful tone served to put you at ease at once. Liam thought that must be why he was so good with animals. They trusted him. “Bunking off work, son?” Peter continued to tease as he come to meet them. “Haven’t they got enough for you to do down there? Little herbivores boring you already?”

“Not at all, Pete,” Niall laughed, coming to a halt at Peter’s side. “I’ve got some special visitors is all. This is Harry and Louis. From home, you know.”

“Harry and?” Peter asked, squinting a little.

“Louis,” Louis jumped in, shaking Peter’s outstretched hand once Harry was done. “Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, come to see where the excitement is, is it?” Peter caught Liam’s eye and smiled. “Dragged you into it as well, I see.”

“Apparently so,” Liam acquiesced. 

Louis smirked, his earlier shock clearly forgotten. “We’ve been promised great things.”

“You’re in for a treat, boys. It’s feeding time.” Peter’s voice took on a teasing, sinister tone as his eyes narrowed. “We’re training the girls to hunt.”

As if on cue a loud squawk came from the forest inside the enclosure. A small goat tumbled through the foliage and into the open ground, bleating as it went. Liam grimaced as it galloped towards them; that goat was getting eaten, no doubt. Seconds later, the velociraptors came bounding out of the treeline, jaws first. The group pressed forward, as close to the fence as they dared, to get a better look.

No matter how many times he saw them, or any of the dinosaurs on the park, it always made his heart pound a little harder. Dinosaurs. Real life, dinosaurs. Extinct for millions of years and now, here they were; living and breathing like any other animal on the planet. 

There were four ‘raptors behind the fence, each domineering in size. They towered over the group at about two metres, their long tails extending far behind them. Though their arms were short, the sharp talons on their claws were not. The dagger like teeth that covered their jaws seemed to form a sinister smile. The yellow in their eyes stood out in stark contrast to their darker, thick skin. Though two of them had a greenish hue, one was more brown. The final ‘raptor, the one at the front of the group as it stalked closer to the wires, was much darker, with a light streak across her back. 

“That’s Blue,” Liam heard Niall whisper. “She’s the Beta. The others are Charlie, Delta and Echo.”

“Who’s the Alpha, then?” Louis asked, curious. 

“That would be me,” Peter spoke up behind them. They all watched as he stepped around the group, right up to the fence and barked out, “Stop!”

Immediately the four velociraptors halted in their steady movements. They lifted their heads and Liam knew they were looking directly at Peter. They recognised him as their leader. These were intelligent animals, only a fool would think otherwise.

“Hold it,” Peter drew out the words, maintained eye contact with Blue. Liam thought he was a brave man to do that, even with the electric cables between them. “Hold it. Good girls,” he cooed. “Good girls.” Liam smiled as he watch Harry and Louis stare, their jaws dropped. “Now, eat,” Peter finished, with a flourish. He pointed directly at the goat, who had stopped bleating now where it passed along the boundary. 

Liam looked away when the ‘raptors pounced on their prey, though the sound of crunching and tearing was enough to conjure a pretty vivid image in his mind’s eye.

“Is there enough room for them all?” Harry asked, his voice a little more strained than usual. “Like, they all get the right care and freedom?” 

Louis huffed, blinking towards the abandoned leg of the goat, which was seeping blood onto the dirty floor. 

“What’s that, lad?” Peter scoffed, scratching his head as the velociraptors dispersed, bored now their meal had been caught. “Didn’t think they had hippies anymore. The jurassic version of the ritz this, I can’t tell you that for nothing.”

Liam rolled his eyes, sure Peter’s hippy comment would rub Harry the wrong way. Sometimes people didn’t seem to understand Harry’s ways all too well. “They don’t have free reign, but they have enough,” he said, nudging Harry with his shoulder. “We have the best in animal care, Harry, don’t worry.”

“I know, you wouldn’t be here otherwise.” Harry smiled at him. “Just ‘cause they’re dinosaurs. Still need to be treated right.”

“They are, promise.”

As they walked back to the car, Liam felt the light touch of Louis’ fingers on his back. He jerked his head towards Louis, to see his face, but the other man was focused on the path ahead. Almost as soon as he’d felt it, the touch vanished. 

~

The glass roof of the Innovation Centre extended far beyond their heads, meeting at a point to form an impressive, triangular ceiling. There were less people around, mainly groups of teenagers and adults, the younger kids already tucked up in bed. 

Louis knew that Niall was trying to welcome them in style, but to be honest he was absolutely shattered after travelling all day. He really wanted to get back to the hotel and sleep. Niall, though, was still chatting away merrily, excited for them to be here, so he kept his mouth shut. 

Around them screens flashed and buzzed with facts and figures. Impressive interactive boards whirred with videos of various different dinosaurs popping up here and there. He watched as Harry gamely pretended to stroke the head of a thirty foot high hologram of a brachiosaurus. The effect was quite shocking and Louis thanked his lucky stars, not for the first time that day, that all the dinosaurs on the island were carefully controlled. 

Louis pulled out his phone to take a picture of Harry and Liam with the hologram and sent it to Zayn with the caption ‘What do you call a blind dinosaur? A Doyouthinkhesaurus.’ He was sure Zayn would appreciate it.

He wandered over to join Niall, who was staring up at a bronze statue of a elderly man. It was presiding over the entrance to the ‘John Hammond Creation Lab’ monorail station, so Louis presumed it was the man himself. 

“So this is the bloke?” he clucked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Niall turned to him and nodded. “Yep. Doctor Hammond. The one with the dream.”

“Sounds like someone has a crush.”

“Nah, it’s just, without him, none of this would be here.”

Louis moved so he was facing Niall fully and the other man wouldn't be able to miss the cynical look on his face. “Are you forgetting the part where all those dinosaurs broke free before the first park opened and killed a bunch of people?”

Niall rolled his eyes, running a hand across his jaw. “It’s not like it was deliberate,” he replied. “Some body has to be the first to take the risk.”

“If you say so.” Louis looked up once more at the statue. The image of the old man made him seem quite affable, quite genuine. Louis wondered how much of that was the real person and how much was artistic licence. The smooth amber stone embedded into the bronze walking stick twinkled in the electric light. If you looked hard enough, you could see the small outline of a mosquito stuck in the middle. Louis remembered hearing that was how they extracted the DNA for the cloned dinosaurs, which was amazing, really.

The loud clacking of stilettoed shoes on the hard floor interrupted Louis’ thoughts and he spun around to see a woman approach them, decked out in extravagant suit. Her dark plum lipstick contrasted her pale skin dramatically, her short brown hair styled carefully around her cheeks. Louis stood up a little straighter. “Good evening, Harry and Louis, correct?” she said kindly as Liam and Harry joined them. “And Liam, lovely to see you again.” She smiled, clasping her phone in her hand. “I’m Niamh Seward, Chief Operating Officer here at Jurassic World. Are you boys having an enjoyable visit so far?”

“All right, Auntie Niamh,” Niall huffed, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “You don’t need to give them the full sales pitch. They’re not here to invest.”

Niamh pointed a finger directly in front of his face. “Behave,” she teased. 

A surprised chuckle broke free from Liam’s lips, his eyebrows raised, and Louis smirked.

“Niall’s told me that you’d be interested in seeing some of our behind the scenes action?” she continued, unfazed by Niall’s whining.

They all rushed out variations of, “Yes, please,” over the top of one another. 

Niamh smiled. “As Niall’s my favourite nephew -”

“I’m your only nephew,” Niall cut in, under his breath. 

“- I’d be more than happy to oblige.” She raised her arm and turned her body to direct them towards the monorail station. “Come this way.”

“It was part of my bargaining kit, really,” Niall admitted quietly, as they boarded the monorail. “Aside from families, you guys are pretty much one of our key demographics. Young professionals, with enough disposable income to shell out on the higher quality products.”

“Think you may have been misleading her about the amount of disposable income I have, Ni,” Harry muttered, his eyes washing over the sleek interior of the monorail as it glided effortlessly over the tracks. 

Niall scoffed. “You’re a lawyer.”

“I’m a paralegal,” Harry corrected. “I’m  _ training _ to be a lawyer, which happens to cost a bomb already.”

Louis shifted in his seat, leaning over to whisper, “And I’m a school teacher.” He poked Harry in the chest. “We still live together because we can’t afford to rent by ourselves.”

Niall waved them off, as if he didn’t believe their claims. “Apparently they’re thinking of opening up the lab a bit more to the punters. They only really see a small part of it at the moment. They want to see if you guys find it interesting.”

“Of course it’s going to be interesting. You’re making dinosaurs.” Louis’ comments were lost, however, as the carriage slowed to a halt ahead of the Creation Lab.

It was like something from a science fiction novel.

Niamh rose from her seat, clearly pleased with their reactions. “Gentlemen, this way.” They were led through a door marked ‘employees only’ and Louis felt a small thrill jolt through him. Something about being allowed where others weren’t was always fun. It was more of an adventure if you were sneaking in, of course, but he’d take what he could get. 

The lab was bright white across its floors and ceilings, with all the workers decked out in full white boiler suits. Louis felt quite alien as they were herded over to a circular table to one side, where a collection of about six large eggs were gathered together. 

“We might just be in time to see a hatching,” Niamh whispered to them. Immediately Harry let out a small whine, clapping his hands together as the four of them peered closer. They waited and Louis could feel the fast beating of his heart in his chest, the nervous energy of the lab was tactile around them. 

At last a faint crack appeared on the egg’s surface. He heard Liam breath out an excited laugh behind him. He wondered if Liam had ever been in the labs here before. When a tiny claw managed to break through the egg’s shell, Louis couldn’t help but smile. After the claws worked away clumps of shell, the small, thin head of the baby dinosaur was revealed. 

“We take the DNA extracted from our amber samples and splice this with the DNA of a frog,” Niamh explained. “That’s it dumbed down to the nth degree, but you get the idea.” The tiny dinosaur in front of them yawned, a small noise coming from her throat. It was adorable on something so small. “This is one of our pteranodons. She’ll be fed and moved to the Aviary as soon as possible after birth.”

The recurring thoughts Louis kept having returned to him. It was a little scary on this island, surrounded by animals that would no doubt eat you the moment they got the chance. Real damage could be done here, and Louis was unnerved that nobody else seemed to be bothered by it. Not even Harry, who was usually the first to point out these kinds of things. He turned to Liam, only to find the other man already watching him.

“All right?” Liam asked. 

“Yeah. Just, it’s a bit …” Louis trailed off, worrying his lip.

“It’s quite a lot to take in, yeah,” Liam finished for him, voice low so just Louis could hear. “Scientists playing God and all that?”

Louis shrugged. “Maybe.”

“What?”

He looked up at Liam, a dubious expression on his face. “How can it possibly be safe, though?” he questioned. “They’re dinosaurs.”

“Don’t ask me.” Liam pulled a face. “I’m just a lowly mechanic.”

Louis frowned. “Oh, shush, Liam. You’re not a lowly anything.” It pained Louis to think that Liam didn’t realise he was one of the most important people in Louis’ life. In a lot of people’s lives. 

“Well, whatever,” Liam carried on, ducking his head. “They’ve been doing this for years now and nothing’s gone wrong. They must be doing something right.”

They spent a while longer in the Creation Lab watching the new baby dinosaurs. In the end, Louis’ need for sleep got the better of him and he announced that he had to go to bed right then, or he would never wake up again. By the time they’d said their goodbyes to Niamh and made it back to their hotel foyer, his eyelids were drooping impressively. 

“Breakfast’s between eight and ten, so we’ll swing by then, all right?” Niall said, stifling a smirk at Louis’ wiped out state.

“Sounds great,” Harry croaked, looking more than a little tired himself. “Thanks for arranging all this stuff, mate, it’s amazing.”

“No worries. See you tomorrow.”

Liam looked as if he was going to speak and, for one fleeting moment, Louis hoped that he would do something dramatic; announce his undying love or even just provide Louis with a soft body to rest his weary head against. He didn’t, of course. He closed his mouth and sent a stilted wave in Harry and Louis’ direction before swiftly turning on his heel and following Niall out of the hotel. 

Louis slumped his shoulders with a deep sigh. 

“Lou, mate, it’s not that bad,” Harry said wrapping an arm over Louis’ shoulder and steering them to the lift. 

“It is.”

“Why haven’t you told him how you feel?”

Louis groaned, dragging his hand across his face. “He’s made it quite plain that he doesn’t think of me that way. I don’t fancy the humiliation, thanks.”

“That’s stupid. What if he’s out there complaining to Niall about exactly the same thing?”

“Unlikely.”

“You have no idea,” Harry lectured. “I’m going to ask Niall in the morning.”

“You will not,” Louis warned. “Please, Harry. Can we just forget it? We can have a fun lads holiday, no unrequited feelings messing everything up.” He rested his head against the shiny wall of the lift, closing his eyes for a second. 

He heard Harry’s voice a moment later, soft above the gentle background music of the the lift. “It wouldn’t mess anything up, babe.”

“So you say. You’re not the one it’s happening to, though.”


	4. Chapter 4

_ “Everything is moving and changing.  _

_ In a sense, everything is on the edge of collapse.” _

**Tyrannosaurus Rex Kingdom, Jurassic World, Isla Nublar**

The tyrannosaurus let out an almighty roar as it stomped through the forest. Louis scowled at the kids next to him, who kept shoving him to get a better look through the viewing glass.

The tyrannosaurus enclosure was a fantastic piece of work, even Louis could see that. The viewing gallery was disguised as a fallen prehistoric evergreen, which Louis thought was hilarious and ingenious in equal parts. The landscape outside was just like he had imagined it would be; green shrubs covered the ground and trees, hundreds of feet tall, filled the mountainside, letting only small bursts of light through. It was like a gigantic, nordic, tolkien-esque forest. If it weren’t for the carnivorous, many-toothed creature currently eyeing up its next meal, Louis would have jumped at the chance to explore the forest properly.

The audience gasped as a flare was dropped to the ground outside, the red light illuminating the goat that was tethered to a post not far from the viewing gallery itself.

“There’s that goat again,” Liam spoke at Louis’ shoulder. The other man was being pressed against Louis’ back by the crowds pushing forward, not that Louis particularly minded.

“I have a sneaking suspicion it’s not the same one,” he joked, turning his head to look up at Liam’s face.

“Poor bugger.”

“Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!” the children to his right chanted. He turned to share a look with Harry, who pulled a face before returning his gaze to the main event unfolding beyond the window. 

The tyrannosaurus ducked her head down and extended her jaw, revealing all of her razor sharp teeth. In one swift movement the dinosaur closed its jaw around the goat and pulled it from its tether. It raised its head once more, tipping back its neck and swallowing the goat whole. 

The crowd cheered.

“Like Niall when he’s hungry,” Louis quipped, bringing his arms to his chest and flapping them ineffectively while bearing his teeth. 

Liam laughed and Niall flicked his ear. “Oi,” he objected.

In the aftermath of its meal, the tyrannosaurus turned its beady eyes on the viewing gallery. A few people around them stepped away from the glass. With trepidation Louis asked, “Can it see us? I thought they had poor vision?”

“That’s right,” Liam replied, voice reassuringly light. “But it’s got an amped up sense of smell. She can definitely tell something’s here.”

They left the tyrannosaurus enclosure thoroughly entertained. The sky above them was a threatening shade of grey, it had been all morning. Bursts of sunlight were breaking through and the light was still bright. Louis still eyed up the bright yellow waterproof ponchos with interest, however.

“My legs hurt, we’ve been walking all morning,” Harry whined as they continued to explore the rest of the park. He had his novelty toy t-rex clutched under his arm, his hair pushed out of his face by a logo adorned blue and grey cap. It was remarkable how just one day in the park could have Harry, a grown adult and professional, resembling a small child throwing a tantrum. Louis grinned from behind his hand at the scene.

“Oh, your  _ majesty _ ,” Niall sang, bowing his head and twirling his hand in an elaborate show. “How dare we expect you to walk for more than an hour. How foolish we’ve been, how -”

Harry blushed. “Bugger off,” he muttered, shoving Niall with a bitten down smile.

“Tell you what we need,” Liam clapped his hands and they all stopped in the middle of the path, much to the annoyance of those walking behind them. Liam waited until they were all staring at him. He wiggling his fingers and smirked, “Margaritas.”

“Oi oi!” Louis crowed, attracting strange looks from passers by. “Now, that’s the Liam I know and love.” As soon as he said it, he realised that it he’d put his foot in it. Liam’s smile wavered a touch and Louis stumbled to brush over it. “Er, right. So, alcohol, then?”

“Always ends well, doesn’t it, boys?” Niall jeered, clapping Liam and Louis on the shoulders before heading off to, Louis assumed, the nearest bar. Louis could feel the blush running up his neck.

Half an hour later as they sat on raised stools outside the appropriately named Margaritaville with four brightly coloured cocktails in front of them, the embarrassment had worn off. 

“This place is ace,” Niall grinned, picking up the pink, plastic gallimimus that adorned his drink.

Harry laughed. “Ba dum tss.”

“Yeah.” Liam smiled, working to extract a strawberry from his glass. He’d always had a strange aversion to fruit in drinks, which Louis never understood. “I cover shifts here every now and then, if someone’s ill or something.” He shrugged, his gaze meeting Louis’. “It’s nice. Reminds me of the The Horn, you know?”

“Not really.” Louis looked around, wrinkling his nose. “I ‘spose The Horn did do cocktails.”

“Well, behind the scenes it’s the same.”

Louis leaned forward, pulling a face. “I believe you,” he whispered.

The friendly chatter carried on for a while, and it was such an improvement on the atmosphere the other day that Louis was almost giddy with it. “I want one of those dinosaur balloons,” he said. “With the legs. You know.”

“The ones for little kids, you mean?” Harry mocked. They were all down to the last dregs of their drinks, which had perhaps been a little stronger than anticipated.

“Hey, I’m on holiday,” Louis whined. “I can do what I want.” He pouted, cocking his head. “‘Sides, I’d look cute.”

“You would,” Liam replied, his voice rough and Louis preened. “I’ll get you a balloon shall I? As a present? Make up for the birthday I missed.”

Louis paused. Liam had missed his birthday, it had been the first birthday Louis had spent without Liam for nine years. It had been a pretty average day, if Louis was remembering it properly. “If you want,” he shrugged. “Think I deserve more than a balloon for that. There was Christmas too.”

“You didn’t get me anything for Christmas!” Liam countered, cheeks bunched up as he grinned.

Louis pouted again. “All right. Name your price. What’s the thing you want most? I’ll get it for you.”

Liam scoffed. “If only,” he muttered, as if Louis wasn’t supposed to hear.

“What does that mean?” Louis asked with a frown, baffled.

Niall, who had apparently been following their conversation carefully, chose that moment to look to Harry and chime in, “Why don’t you and Li go visit the Cretaceous Cruise? Louis and I will hit the Gyrosphere, then we can meet up for lunch. Divide and conquer.”

Louis tried to keep his expression neutral. He thought he and Liam had been getting on okay, but maybe Harry and Niall had other ideas.

“Sounds like a plan,” he sighed, stirring the ice left at the bottom of his glass. “What’s a Gyrosphere?”

~

“This queue is insane.”

Gyrospheres, in turned out, were very popular.

“Give over, Lou, it’s half an hour if that.” Niall shook his head and Louis chose to interpret it as his friend being endeared rather than annoyed. 

The ride itself seemed to involve strapping people into a human sized hamster ball and sending them off into a valley to roll about with a large collection dinosaurs. In the fields below, framed by steep mountains either side, Louis could see a handful of the gyrospheres mulling about. Some of them travelling alarming close to the animals. There was one Louis could see, in particular, that looked to be heading directly towards the feet of a gigantic apatosaurus. 

Louis imagined a father desperately begging his overzealous daughter to hand the controls back over as they rolled closer and closer to the dinosaur’s stomping feet.

When it was finally their turn to board one of the ‘spheres Louis let out an excited giggle and Niall smirked. This time it was definitely indulgent. They were buckled into the clear ball, the blue metal frame securing them upright. Once the ball began to roll forward Louis turned to Niall with a grin. 

Before long, they were exploring the open space of the island, dinosaurs plodding along beside them like it was the most normal thing in the world. Louis was blown away. They were roaming the plains with extinct animals. It shouldn’t have been possible and yet, there they were, defying nature itself. They continued at a leisurely pace, taking in their surroundings. “How’s life treating you, young Niall?” Louis asked after a while. “I feel like we haven’t spoken properly yet.” Niall’s gaze travelled over Louis’ face, as if trying to work out if he was being serious. “Come on. What’s the news?”

“No news, not really.”

“Not really?” 

Niall cocked his head, scrunching up his nose in thought. “I’ve been trying to convince Pete to let me transfer to the ‘raptor team.”

“You’re going to abandon the dino baby gang?” Louis clutched his chest in mock despair. “Niall, how could you?”

“Not abandon, just move to a different area of focus.” Niall grimaced. “He’s taking quite a lot of persuading though. It’s a work in progress.”

“I’m sure you’ll work it out.” He surveyed the landscape around them for a beat. “It’s nice here. What’s it like living here, is it fun? What do employees do for after hours?”

“This and that,” Niall shrugged. “There’s a few bars and stuff in the village. We arrange socials, things like that. It’s nice. I do miss home, though.”

Louis leant his head towards Niall and cooed, “Home misses you.”

“Aw,” Niall laughed, teasing.

“Cute,” Louis joined in, before he noticed two huge triceratops headed towards them. “Oh,” he interjected. “Dinosaur wants to be friends. Watch it.”

They rolled for a while longer before Louis attempted to ask casually, “So, have you and Liam, like, met anyone here, or anything?” He trailed off, knowing Niall saw right through him. 

“Liam is still single,” Niall replied, as though his was speaking to a small child.

Louis huffed. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Yes is it.”

“What about you?”

“Come on,” Niall scoffed, pulling a face as he stared at a stegosaurus in the distance.

“What?” Louis asked, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Niall wasn’t usually so dismissive of himself.

“As if there’s anyone going to date me on an island this small.”

“Niall,” Louis chided. “Don’t say that.”

“Well, it’s the truth,” Niall exclaimed. “It was hard enough finding people who even knew what an asexual was back home. How am I supposed to find someone here?” He faced to Louis with raised eyebrows. When Louis didn’t answer straight away he turned back with a sigh. 

“Babe, you will do,” Louis said, his tone gentle. “What’s brought this on?” he asked. “You’ve always been pretty positive about it before.”

Niall seemed to sulk for a moment before he finally mumbled, “I met this girl.”

“So there is someone?” Louis encouraged.

“No, not really.” Niall had a particularly uncomfortable expression on his face, which was rare. Niall was generally always very confident in himself. “It’s not anything yet,” he explained. “I don’t know what to tell her. Like, should I tell her now, before anything really starts between us? Or, should I wait until there are, like, proper feelings first?” He searched Louis’ face, biting his lip. “If I tell her now, she might just say no, even if we could work it out, ‘cause it’s all new to her. If I wait to tell her, she might be pissed that I didn’t say something sooner and, like, resent me for it or something. It’s fucking ridiculous and I’m bored of it.” He huffed, tightening his grip on the controls. “I just want it to be easy.”

“Mate,” Louis tried. “You can’t predict what will happen, either. If she get’s pissed, she can go do one. I don’t think -”

“Don’t worry about it,” Niall cut in, waving him off. “I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”

“It’s fair enough if you are, Niall. You’re a good egg, that’s what my mum always says about you,” Louis said, reaching out to squeeze Niall’s shoulder. “I don’t really know what else to say apart from you should talk to her about it. Tell her what you told me. Surely that’s the best you can do? After that -” he shrugged. 

“I’m just a bit scared that I’ll end up alone.” Niall’s voice as he spoke the words was barely louder than a whisper. So much so, that Louis’ almost missed them over the sound of the gyrosphere. He bit his lip, eyes travelling over Niall’s face as the other man focused on the valley outside. 

“You won’t, Niall. It might all work out perfectly, you don’t know. You’ve always got us, you know that?” Louis cringed at how ridiculous he sounded, but it was the truth and Niall needed to hear it. “I know we’re not exactly what you’re after, but we’re always here.” He reached his hand out and poked Niall on the the tip of his nose. “You’re my best friends, you and the others.”

Niall grabbed Louis’ retreating hand. “Getting a bit full on here,” he deadpanned before letting go.

“Yeah, is a bit.” Louis smiled. “Shall we go annoy some dinosaurs, instead?”

“Yeah.” 

“I mean,” Louis carried on, as they headed further into the valley and the mood lifted. “It’s nice to know that other people are having relationship problems. I had thought it was just me.”

Niall snorted, apparently amused. “You’re not having problems. You’re just being obtuse.”

“‘Obtuse’ is it?” Louis repeated, his voice high. “Big words from you today.”

“Well,” Niall dragged out the words. “Harry and I have devised a plan.”

“Oh.” Louis dropped his head against the headrest. “Here goes.”

“No, come on.” Niall shifted in his restraints, so he was facing Louis a little more. “I had to listen to your advice,” he reminded. “Now you have to listen to mine.”

“Fine,” Louis sighed. “Lay it on me.”

“Liam has been fucking miserable since he’s been here. I thought it was because he was homesick, you know? But, no, it’s because of you.”

“Is that fair? He was the one not talking to me.”

“You haven’t been talking to each other!” Niall half shouted, clearly exasperated. “Because you’re both idiots. Harry said you’re in love with him.”

Louis huffed, indignant at the idea that Harry and Niall were talking about him and Liam behind their backs. Not that he would have behaved any differently. “Harry needs to learn to keep his mouth shut,” he snapped. 

“You need to learn to communicate better,” Niall retorted. “Just tell Liam! Isn’t that what you were saying to me just now? Tell him, it’s the best you can do.”

“You know,” Louis scowled at Niall as their gyrosphere continued to roll along the grass, “I wouldn’t have been half as nice if I’d have thought you’d throw it back at me like this.”

“I’m not throwing anything,” Niall dismissed. “It’s the truth. Liam’s head over fucking heels.”

“Oh, right. He’s obviously in love with me, that’s why he said he wanted to stay just friends.” 

“You two, you’re as bad as each other. Honestly.” As Niall spoke a loud clunk sounded above their heads. The two of them looked up to find that the heavens had opened and rain was beginning to fall across the valley. The noise was quite something. “Harry better be having more luck,” Niall continued, “or the pair of you are doomed.”

“Harry’s not going to tell Liam, is he?” The idea of Liam knowing his feelings, of Liam’s pity, was too much. He knew that Liam would try and help as well, would try to set him up with someone else. It would be horrendous.

“I’m sure Harry will do what Harry thinks is best,” Niall offered, serenely. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Louis spat, without real bite. “That’s the end of that, then,” he cried, dramatically. “Friendship ruined. Cheers, thanks a lot.”

Niall rolled his eyes and steered them closer to the herd of parasaurolophus nearby.

~

“Thanks,” Liam said as the ride operator strapped him into the raft. It was barely ten seconds after they had set off down the river that Harry started his interrogation. 

“So, you and Louis, then?” he asked, a smug smile plastered across his face.

Liam sent him a disapproving glower. “Haven’t we had this talk already? Can we not just enjoy the cruise?” 

“You mumbling something to Niall about spending the night together does not a conversation make, my friend.” He squinted at the canopy of leaves above them. “And I am enjoying it, thanks very much.”

“God,” Liam groaned.

“‘Harry will do,” Harry said, simply.

“Oh, my God.”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Liam stared. “Harry,” he countered.

Harry smiled at him, eyes flicking across his face. He inclined his head. “Better.”

“What do you want?” Liam asked.

Leaning as far forward as his restraint would let him, Harry narrowed his eyes at Liam. “What are your intentions towards Louis?”

Liam laughed. “Are you serious?” he said. “Have I fallen into an alternate universe somehow?” He looked around him, to make the point, only for his eyes to fall on a metriacanthosaurus, it’s stripey head half camouflaged in the foliage. “Harry, check it out.” He pointed to the dinosaur. 

Harry swivelled in his seat, craning his neck to see where Liam was pointing. “Mate, that’s awesome. Look at the green on her face!” They watched the creature until it disappeared from view. As Harry settled back in his seat, he picked up his train of questioning and Liam slumped back. “Anyway,” Harry said. “I just want to know what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking that we got drunk, we had sex, it was a casual thing, and we’re friends.  _ Good _ friends, but just friends.” Liam began to feel nauseous as he spoke, as if his own body was rejecting the lies that spilled from his mouth.

“That’s so stupid,” Harry burst out. “Since when do you have one night stands? Like, at all, let alone with your best mate!”

“I’m sorry, am I not allowed?” Harry was right, he’d never had a one night stand in his life, until now it seemed, but he didn’t appreciate his friend’s tone.

“Of course you’re allowed, Liam. I’m just saying it’s out of character and I don’t believe it for one second.” Liam watched as Harry spread his arms across the backs of the two empty seats either side of him. Harry met his eyes with a steely glare. “Louis doesn’t want to stay friends. You know that, right?”

Liam baulked. “What? But, he said so. Is that why he didn’t talk to me?” he rushed out. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me?”

“Oh, wow,” Harry guffawed. “You’ve lost your mind. That’s not what I meant at all.” He readjusted the cap on his head and Liam’s heart beat painfully in his chest. “He wants something more.”

“Fuck off,” Liam spluttered. “He doesn’t.” He paused, staring at Harry for a few more seconds. “What makes you say that?”

Harry face split into a wide smile. “He may have mentioned it.” He cocked his head, his lips pulled down. “I say mentioned it, what he actually did was mope all the way here about how you didn’t feel the same and he’d lost you forever.” As he spoke, he extended his leg in the space between the two of them and nudged Liam, hard, in the shin. “Which I don’t think is quite true, is it?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Liam replied, coolly. He couldn’t tell if Harry was telling the truth. He couldn’t imagine why he would lie, Harry had never lied to him before, not about something this important. Liam didn’t think that he would, but, it was too good to believe. It was exactly what Liam wanted to hear. 

“You don’t know?” Harry stared at him with wide eyes. He clearly didn’t believe anything Liam said. Liam shifted under the scrutiny. “Cool. Well, when you do figure it out, do you think you could actually talk to Louis about it, instead of whatever you’ve been doing the past few days?”

“You’re being absurd. It meant nothing.” The words sounded harsh, even to Liam’s own ears, and it was obvious that they had rubbed Harry the wrong way. 

“Why are you lying to yourself?” he hissed. “Lying to Louis? It’s not doing anyone any good.”

“You sure that you’re right? That I don’t know my own mind?” He didn’t know why he was getting so worked up. He’d been so stressed about Louis for so long, having the situation shoved in his face felt like a personal attack. “Fuck you, Harry.”

Harry sat back, a look of amused astonishment on his face. “‘Fuck me’?” he repeated. “Jesus, Liam. Harsh.” The two of them stared each other down for a few moments more before Harry ducked his head, a disbelieving smile cracking through his sombre expression. “Let’s not fight,” he said, raising his palms in front of him.

“Sorry. I didn’t -” Liam stammered. The anger he’d felt vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He felt a little foolish, floating along the river, arguing with one of his closest friends about whether he was in love with someone. “I just - I’ll deal with it, okay? I don’t need other people getting involved.”

“Fair enough,” Harry conceded. “I will leave it in your capable hands.” After a beat, he added, “Don’t know what he sees in you anyway.” 

Liam knew Harry was trying to bring the conversation back to familiar ground, friendly insults were his and Harry’s bread and butter. As rain drops began to fall sparsely around them, the bulk of the downpour blocked by the tree canopy, Liam turned to look at the disturbed water. 

“I hope your hair gets all frizzy from the humidity,” he muttered, with a smirk, accepting Harry’s olive branch.

“Well, now,” Harry drawled. “That’s a step too far.”

The Cretaceous Cruise was one of Liam’s favourites, and he visited it frequently, but he’d never seen it in the rain before. As they drifted peacefully along the river, the rain pattered around them. They saw a pair of stegosaurses but nothing else, driven off by the weather Liam suspected, though the wildlife was impressive enough. They’d drifted away from the other couple of rafts that had set off with them, as the speed of the raft varied according to how many animals were around. The two of them took the opportunity to relax, Liam even daring to trail his fingers in the cool water, hoping that they wouldn’t get bitten off by anything unfriendly.

Soon after, however, the tranquility of the cruise was disrupted by the jarring sound of the shrill bells that always preceded an announcement. Liam chewed his lip. There wasn’t usually any overhead announcements on the cruise. A steady, calming voice sounded across the river, “ _ Due to technical difficulties all our exhibits are now closed. Please disembark all rides and return to the resort. _ ”

~

The announcement was loud in their gyrosphere, a large exclamation mark coming up on the screen between them. Louis hummed. 

“Ah, well,” Niall breathed. “Probably something’s up with the computer system. That happens sometimes.” He pulled the stick between them, guiding the ‘sphere back around towards where they’d come from. 

“Oh, come on,” Louis whined. “I thought we had VIP passes? Surely we can stay out a little bit longer?”

The look Niall sent him was both shocked and not particularly surprised. “Do you want to get me fired?” he said. “We can come back once everything’s up and running again.” He squinted as he tried to find the route back through water splashed glass. “Can’t see anything in this weather anyway.”

“You,” Louis declared, with a sigh, “are no fun.”

Niall laughed. “I am loads of fun. I just like having a regular pay cheque, thanks very much.”

“Yeah right. Scared of your aunt more like.”

“Yeah,” Niall conceded. “That too. Here,” he said. “Take the controls for a sec. I’ll see if I can find out what the deal is.” His walkie talkie crackled loudly in their glass enclosure as he spoke into it. All that he got in response, though, was intermittent static. “Bugger. Must be the ball,” he said, tapping the thick glass around them. “Think it’s stopping the signal. Ah well.” He grinned at Louis. “Fingers crossed it’s nothing serious. Not while I’m on holiday, at least.”

“Priorities.”

“Exactly.”

By the time they returned to the main ride zone it was virtually empty. The rain had let up a little, but the two of them still jogged to take cover under the entrance to the ride.

“Hey, Katie,” Niall greeted the worker at the top, still directing a handful of people back towards the main resort. 

As Niall carried on his conversation with the ride attendant, Louis found his eyes landing on a young boy. He was chatting away merrily as a woman Louis assumed was his mother concentrated carefully on the large map of the park near the ride entrance. She nodded and smiled every now and then, though Louis was sure she wasn’t really listening. She appeared a little flustered at the turn of events in the park. The boy was unperturbed as he rambled on, “I heard a meteor hit the earth and made, like, this hundred mile crater somewhere in Mexico, and, and it was the meteor making all this heat that made a bunch of diamond dust? And that changed the weather and they died because of the weather? Then my teacher told me about this other book?  And it said the dinosaurs died of a bunch of diseases.”

“That’s right, sweetie,” his mother muttered, taking his hand.

Louis let out a soft chuckle, smiling and waving as the little boy met his eye. He was about to bring out the big guns and stick his tongue out when Niall came up to his side, pulling his arm with a jerk.

“Ow, what?” Louis moaned.

“We have to go,” Niall replied, his voice sharp. His skin looked paler than it had done a minute ago and he wore and alarmed expression that Louis rarely saw on him. “We have to go,  _ now _ .”

“All right, calm down,” Louis said, confused. 

Niall shook his head, shepherding Louis towards the exit. “No, Louis, you don’t understand. Something’s got out.”

Louis stilled and turned to face Niall fully. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Niall grimaced and ran his hand across his face. He turned around, eyeing the few remaining visitors. Leaning close to Louis, he whispered, “One of the dinosaurs has got out. It’s fucking roaming around the park.”

At his words, Louis’ eyes flickered to the boy still muttering happily to his mother as they made their slow way down the path. He wanted to tell them to run. “But -” he stumbled over his words. “But, that can’t happen.”

“Well, it has.” Niall reached his hands behind his head, and stepped away, clearly frustrated. “Shit.”

“What about Liam? Harry?” Louis began to feel the panic rising inside him. Why the hell had they split up in the first place? The whole island was full of dinosaurs, of course something like this would happen. What if one of them got hurt? What if they were killed? What if Liam died? Louis needed to be with him. He felt physically ill,  his palms sweaty.

“Liam knows what he’s doing, he’ll get them both back.” Niall’s reassuring voice did little to calm Louis down.

“No. No, Niall,” he rushed, grabbing Niall’s wrist. “We can’t leave them.”

“We’re not leaving anybody. We’ll meet them in the hotel room.”

“We can’t -”

“Louis.” Niall laid his hands on Louis’ shoulders, stilling him where he was shifting nervously. His gaze ran over Louis’ face until Louis met his eye. In a deep voice he said, “I don’t think you understand the situation here. There is a prehistoric, possibly carnivorous dinosaur on the loose.” He squeezed Louis’ shoulders. “Just do what you are told.”

Visions swam in Louis’ mind. Images of Liam, his body sprawled out across the forest floor, eyes vacant and skin bloodied as some horrendous creature towered over him. And Harry, making futile attempts to fend off a pack of velociraptors that could run four times faster than him. Louis was at a complete loss. They couldn’t do nothing, they had to help their friends, they  _ had  _ to. 

He sniffed, wiping rain off his face. He was determined to bring Niall around. “Can you get him on your radio?” he asked, trying to sound as calm and level headed as possible. 

“Huh?”

Louis pushed his sopping hair out of his face. “Try Liam on the radio,” he repeated. “I’ll try Harry’s phone. If I know they’re on their way to the hotel, then we’ll go there too.”

Niall grimaced. “That’s not a logical argument, that’s -”

“For the love of God,” Louis shouted, reaching the end of his tether. “Can you just -”

“Fine, fine,” Niall relented, raising his hands in defeat. He raised his radio to his mouth and Louis pulled up Harry’s contact on his phone.

After listening to the dialling tone for a minute or so, he knew Harry wasn’t going to answer. He never let his phone ring for that long. He looked over to where Niall was frowning at his radio. The other man  gave a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging. “He’s not responding. That doesn’t mean anything,” Niall said, though Louis wasn’t convinced he truly believed that. “He might be busy.”

“Harry’s phone is just ringing out.” He rubbed his hands together, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Niall, please, what if something’s happen to them?”

Niall considered him for a few more seconds before he finally agreed. “Fuck. Fine. Fuck.” His shirt was clinging to his skin, accentuating the heavy rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. “Here, put a fucking coat on,” he said, grabbing two yellow uniform coats from under the ride operator’s seat. The two of them started down the path, taking the the middle road instead of the right like the remaining stragglers. “I swear to Christ,” Niall muttered. “If they’re safe in the hotel and I end up getting fucking eaten, I will never let you live it down.”

The forest around them blocked out a lot of the light. Louis focused on the path in front of him. They weren’t going to get eaten, he was almost sure of it.

~

“ _ Due to technical difficulties all our exhibits are now closed. Please disembark all rides and return to the resort. _ ”

Liam’s heart immediately began to hammer in his chest. His skin felt clammy. He tried to calm himself down, thinking that it was probably a problem with the electrics. He looked over to Harry who had slumped into his seat with a pout, arms folded in a petulant manner. 

Just a problem with the electrics, he thought again deliberately, as the raft continued to make its way along the river and back to the loading bay. A very loud, very reasonable part of his brain, however, couldn’t help wonder what if something had got out? 

He schooled his face into something he hoped resembled mild annoyance as Harry huffed, “Typical. Does this mean we won’t get to go to the Aviary later?” 

Liam didn’t trust himself to speak. He pulled a face, hoping Harry would take from that what he wanted. In the distance the bellowing roar of a brachiosaurus echoed throughout the forest.

It seemed to take forever for the raft to return to the dock and Liam’s blood pulsed through his veins, his body thrumming. He knew they were still five or so minutes away when the ride ground to a painful halt. He had to bite his lip to stop a nervous whine escaping him. 

“Oh, God. What is it now?” Harry groaned. He sent Liam a teasing smirk. “Are we going to get eaten, Li?” 

Liam blinked. “I’ll, er, just check in,” he stuttered. He pulled his walkie from his belt, calling for a status update.

Rain water was beginning to pool in the bottom of the raft. 

When the response came, crackling through the tiny speaker, Liam went cold. “ _ Code nineteen, _ ” the voice responded, clearly strained.

“Are you - Are you serious?” he croaked.

“ _ Yeah. Shit. Payne, get your arse back to the resort, now. _ ”

As he put his walkie away again and scrambled to unbuckle the belt securing him to the raft Harry asked, “What’s - What’s a code nineteen?”

“Oh, nothing. Just, er, just a -” Liam stared, eyes wide, trying to think of something to fob Harry off with. “There’s an issue with some of the security. We should go back to the hotel. Better - Better safe than sorry.” He tone was light, if a little uneasy. 

“Um. How?” Harry raised his arms, indicating the wide expanse of water between them and the shore on either side.

“We’ll need to find a paddle,” Liam muttered, looking about for a suitable log. He couldn’t see much around him through the splattering of rain.

“‘Paddle’?” Harry half shouted. He was eyeing Liam curiously, like he knew something was up. “What the hell are you on about? Seriously, what’s a code nineteen?”

“Fuck. Harry,” Liam whined. He stepped across the raft and began to undo Harry’s seatbelt. “Asset out of containment,” he said quickly.

“What?”

“Code nineteen. Asset out of containment. There’s -” He sighed and ducked his head before meeting Harry’s eyes. “There’s a dinosaur out of its cage.” 

Before Harry had a chance to respond the ground around them shook. Liam felt his chest constrict and he pressed his hand across Harry’s mouth, raising a finger to his own lips. He listened intently, trying to hear over the rain, his eyes focused on the water surrounding them. After a number of long, silent seconds, Harry pulled Liam’s hand away. 

“Don’t fucking mess with me. It’s not funny,” he hissed.

Liam flapped his hand as the ground shook again, a low rumble emanating from somewhere within the forest that surrounded them. “Shush,” he whispered.

“What was that?” Harry had grabbed a hold of Liam’s arm once more, his grip tighter than before as he crouched down next to him, staring at the trees. “Liam, what was that?”  

“Shut up,” Liam mouthed.

The ground trembled again, sounding much closer. It caused ripples of water to splash against the raft where the two men clung to each other. A loud roar erupted from beyond the trees and Liam’s heart was in his throat. That was something big and it was getting closer by the second. They couldn’t stay on the raft, that much Liam knew. They would be like sitting ducks.

He couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Shit,” Harry gasped. He turned to stare at Liam with wide eyes. He’d lost his hat, tendrils of his wet hair plastered to the side of his face.

“Come on,” Liam rushed, climbing over the side of the raft and into the cool water. He reached an arm out to pull Harry with him. “Quickly,” he barked. “Before it gets too close. Go, go, go.”

Harry waited for a split second, looking as if he was hoping for someone to jump out and explain that it was all a hoax. Nobody did, however, and he began to climb out of the raft, his phone gripped like a lifeline in his hand. Liam wrapped his arm around Harry’s waist as the two of them hauled themselves through the river.

Their movements shifted the riverbed and the once almost clear water began to darken and cloud with the dirt they were displacing. Liam grit his teeth, shivering as the river deepened and his chest was submerged. 

As they hauled themselves up the murky bank, fighting their way through the thick vegetation, the footsteps of the enormous dinosaur sounded again. He felt Harry’s tight grip pull him up and towards the wide trunk of a nearby tree. Liam grimaced as he leant on his radio, surely useless now.

“We should keep still, right? I thought they couldn’t see us if we stood still,” Harry whispered frantically. His eyes were twinkling in the dark shelter of the forest. 

Liam shifted. “That’s the tyrannosaurus,” he replied, his voice barely audible. “This might be something else, I can’t see it yet.” He laid a hand on Harry’s shoulder, pushing them both, ever so slowly, to the forest floor. “Just - Just stay quiet. Stay low.”

His blood was pumping violently in his veins. He worried, in his panic, that whatever it was coming after them would be able to hear his heat beating. They heard it before they saw it. The thump of heavy footsteps approaching from behind their hiding place shook Liam’s whole body. He could feel his ribs vibrating against his skin. Never before in his life and Liam been so terrified. His teeth were digging painfully into his lips as he fought to keep as quiet as possible. He was scared to move, scared to even breath.

All at once, it came into view. The air was ripped from Liam’s body in horror as he took in the sight before them. The creature was like nothing he’d seen before. It certainly wasn’t one of the park’s attractions. It scaled twenty feet in height, it’s long, muscled tail sticking out behind it. It resembled a tyrannosaurus to a degree, though Lam knew it couldn’t be one. Its arms were too long, its mouth too wide, its scales too pale. Sharp horns adorned its skull and its neck and bright red eyes were set deep into its face.

The dinosaur had its long jaws clasped tightly around something. With a jolt, the dinosaur dropped its prey and the dead and bloodied body of an ankylosaurus landed a few strides away. Liam winced as the creature ducked its head and began to tear at the flesh of the dead dinosaur. Its face was so close to them, it was bound to see them, Liam thought. The ferocious animal let out a deafening roar and Harry and Liam both clamped their hands over their ears at the sound. The creature’s jaws began to edge closer to their hiding spot, as if it could sense something else was nearby. It was so loud and so close that Liam was sure he was going to die. He could hear the dinosaur sniffing the air, its hot, wet breath billowing against Liam’s skin. He clamped his eyes shut. Harry’s breathing was fast and shallow next to him. He reached out until he found Harry’s hand and grasped it for dear life. He could feel Harry’s palm trembling in his own, sticky and cold with sweat. 

Just when he thought that it couldn’t go on any longer, that the dinosaur would tear them limb from limb at any second, the air began to cool. Liam blinked, staring in shock as the dinosaur turned its head and stood back up to its full height. It was going to pass them, they were going to live. Almost as soon as the thought had sprung to Liam’s mind, did his heart jump back into his throat. 

The familiar sound of Harry’s ringtone carried through the air and the dinosaur, as if in slow motion, began to turn its body back towards them, to investigate the noise. 

“Run,” Liam cried. He pushed Harry forward. “Harry,  _ run _ .” The words were torn from his throat and the two of them hurtled blindly through the trees. Liam was sure every step they took was going to be their last. His lungs ached, the muscles in his legs screaming as he continued to sprint. Harry was a pace in front of him, pushing branches and foliage out of the way with reckless abandon. Liam knew the monster was behind them, its stomping felt like it was a hair’s breath away. He could almost feel its teeth snapping at his neck.

When they broke through the treeline, the wide open space was like a different world. The rain pouring on Liam’s skin stung, as if it were ice. He skidded to a halt behind Harry when they encountered the top ledge of a rocky precipice. The tremendous rush of water cascading down the rocks into the pool below was near deafening. 

“What do we do?” Harry yelled, his face distorted in desperation. 

Liam looked over his shoulder to see the dinosaur trampling closer, its beady eyes focused on them. They had no choice. “We have to jump,” Liam said. 

It was a testament to their precarious situation that Harry didn’t bat an eyelid. He took a firm hold of Liam’s arm and counted down, “One, two, three!”

They didn’t have time to think, or to be scared. They leapt from the cliff face. As they plummeted towards the frothing water below, Liam was sure he heard the dinosaur’s roar over their heads. 

When Liam hit the pool, he reached out and grabbed Harry, trying not to think about what kind of dangerous beasts were probably swimming around them. Harry made to break the surface, but Liam pulled him back down. He shook his head, hoping that Harry would get the message. The longer they waited, the more likely it would be that the creature would miss them.

Eventually, when they could hold their breath no longer, they surged upwards. Gasping for air, Liam raised his gaze to the top of the waterfall. He sobbed in relief to see the landscape dinosaur free. 

They dragged themselves to the side of the pool and crawled up the bank. “You all right?” Liam panted, his hand twisted in Harry’s top. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Fuck me,” Harry let out a disbelieving laugh. He rolled over, his shirt sticking to him, and pushed his heavy hair out of his face. His arm was bleeding a little, apart from that, they were both in one piece. “We’re alive. Shit.”

Liam couldn’t help but grin into the muddy ground. “We’re alive,” he agreed. “Come on.” He scrambled to his feet, sliding across the wet mud as he tried to right himself. “We need to find shelter, or something.”

All he had to do was make sure he and Harry survived a little while longer, and they could meet up with Louis and Niall at the resort. It was a grounding thought, as they began to walk into the forest once more and the rain continued to pour, that at least Louis was safe with Niall.


	5. Chapter 5

_“Life breaks free. Life expands to new territories._

_Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But life finds a way.”_

**Two Miles East of Gallimimus Valley, Jurassic World, Isla Nublar**

Liam gave a violent shiver as they clambered over the remnants of a fallen tree. The bark was wet and mossy, slipping beneath his numb hands as he tried to get a decent grip. It had stopped raining at last, but the ground beneath them was saturated with mud, and they made slow progress.

“How you holding up, Harry? Arm okay?” Liam crouched down from where he’d made it to the top of the fallen tree, holding out a hand to help his friend up. He eyed Harry’s bloodied arm nervously, wondering if anything out there in the wilderness would be drawn to the smell.

Harry took his hand, hoisting himself up with a grimace. “I’ve been better, if I’m completely honest.”

“Well, you did ask for the full experience,” Liam replied, as he swatted at a particularly aggressive mosquito.  

“This wasn’t quite what I had in mind.” The pair stood on top of the tree and surveyed the humid, dark tangle of greenery around them. “Do you know where we’re going?” Harry asked.

“Not really. I think that’s the monorail track in the distance.” He shuffled closer to Harry, so he could see his friend’s eyeline. He reached over Harry’s shoulder, pointing through the trees and beyond the canopy. “Can you see?”

Harry squinted. “I can see something,” he muttered, sounding unconvinced.

Liam shrugged and jumped down to the floor. “I figured we could follow that,” he said, scratching his jaw. “Probably our best shot.”

“Yeah, okay,” Harry relented, following him down. As they continued the arduous trek through the forest, he piped up, “Do you think Louis and Niall are okay?”

“I’m sure they are,” Liam said, trying to sound confident. The truth was, he was scared. That dinosaur was dangerous. He hadn’t even known there was anything like that on the island, it made him wonder what else the bosses were keeping a secret. “Niall knows dinosaurs, it’s his job. They’ll be fine,” he reassured.

Harry seemed satisfied with that answer. Now that they were away from direct harm, it was easier to be more optimistic. “Should’ve stuck with him,” Harry teased. “What good are a paralegal and a mechanic in the middle of jungle?”

“Sounds like a joke,” Liam smiled. “‘A lawyer and mechanic walk into a bar’.” He turned to Harry, pleased for a moment of light relief.

“And get attacked by a fuck off massive dinosaur,” Harry finished, with a smirk.

Liam sighed, pushing an oversized fern out of his path. “At least we’ll be able to sue them to kingdom come once we get back.”

“Don’t think so,” Harry scoffed behind him. “You’ll have signed something about this in your contract, I reckon.”

“I don’t remember. You didn’t sign anything, though.” Liam frowned, looking over his shoulder.  

Harry smiled at him, dimples on show, eyes warm. “Let’s focus on staying alive for now. Lawyers come later.” Liam hummed, pleased that his friend was there with him. Harry always had a way of making you feel more at ease in situations, even when it seemed like there was no way out. Liam was sure that he’d make a brilliant lawyer. It was telling then, to Liam, that Harry look scared in spite of his smile. “Did you hear that?” Harry gasped, coming to a halt. His hand pressed against Liam’s chest, keeping him still.

The forest sounded completely normal to Liam, though Harry’s nerves put him on edge. “Do you think it’s out there?” he breathed. “I mean,” he cut himself off upon seeing Harry’s paling face. “It’s not - Let’s just keep on walking.”

If the two of them walked a little faster as they continued through the thick forest, neither mentioned it.

“Hey, Liam,” Harry spoke up after a while.

The clammy heat was getting to Liam. He was in desperate need of a drink and could feel the beginnings of a headache forming near his temple. “What?” he sighed.

“Creepy deserted building.” Harry pointed ahead of them. As Liam ducked his head, he saw what Harry meant. Along the wall of green, which Liam had taken to be a bank of ivy, a large doorway was visible. The steps leading up to it were overtaken by tree roots and overgrown weeds, but it looked more inviting than anything else they’d come across so far. “Better than a dinosaur infested forest, don’t you think?” Harry said, clearly pleased.

“Couldn’t be any worse.”

The elaborately decorated door creaked as they pushed it open, and Liam winced. Inside it was dark and wet and dank. The forest had taken over the vast space with trees breaking through the walls and vines scaling the rafters. Liam jumped back with a yelp as he stumbled over a collection of bones. They were large enough to belong to a tyrannosaurus.

“Plastic,” Harry croaked, nudging one of the large ribs with his foot. He spun around, eyeing the room thoughtfully. “Oh, wow,” he breathed and turned to Liam. “Is this - Is this the original centre?”

Liam was staring down at where the fake bones were sprawled across the floor. He could make out a small burst of colour beneath them and made to clear away the debris. As he wiped away the grime, the old Jurassic Park logo was revealed, pieces of dirt embedded in the fabric. “I think it is. I’ll be damned.”

“You know, I read the case on this, United States and International Genetic Technologies,” Harry started as they began to explore the building, sticking close together and taking careful steps. “InGen had NDA’s all over it before the San Diego incident.” Liam knew all about the San Diego incident, of course. Not even InGen could stop people talking about a fully grown tyrannosaurus wreaking havoc in a U.S. city. That was years ago, though. The advances that had been made in security and containment since then were astronomical. Nothing like this should be happening now. They stopped in front of a large mural, depicting two velociraptors stalking through a forest. Liam’s eyes rested on the large claws protruding from the velociraptors’ feet. “Before this resort opened,” Harry spoke into the silence, “over thirty people had been killed by the animals created here.”

Liam folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. “You knew that, and you still came to visit?” he drawled.

“Oh, come on,” Harry huffed. “You knew people had been killed and you _work_ here.” He pointed a long finger at Liam’s face. “Less of the condescension. It was supposed to be safer now. You said it was safer yourself.”

Liam smirked. “Nobody puts t-rex in a corner.”

“Yeah.”

After half an hour or so of relief from the forest and from the terror of suspecting an imminent dinosaur attack, Liam felt a lot more relaxed. He joined Harry where the other man was leant against a grimy wall, staring into space. “Here,” he said, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. “First aid kit.”

“Thanks,” Harry muttered as Liam got to work pulling out antiseptic wipes and bandages. “Hey, um, thanks, as well, for back there. I would definitely have been eaten straight away if you hadn’t been there with me.”

Liam looked up and was surprised to see Harry looking embarrassed. “You don’t have to thank me, Harry,” he replied, wiping the cut on his friend’s arm. Harry swore loudly. “Sorry. We’re mates. We stick together.” He picked up the bandages and began to wrap Harry’s upper arm, shrugging. “‘Sides, you wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for me.”

“Li, come on,” Harry scoffed. He ducked his head to meet Liam’s gaze. “Don’t do that.”

The two of them looked at each other for a few long moments before Liam turned away. He said, brightly, “Right. So, you’ve read all about it, then? How did they escape, the first time around?”

“I don’t know,” Harry replied, clearly not buying Liam’s enthusiasm, but not calling him out. “Aren’t you supposed to know stuff about this place? You work here.”

“Didn’t we already talk about this? As a mechanic.”

“Don’t you pick stuff up?”

Liam laughed. “Yeah, this is what I’ve picked up, in my six months here.” Counting off on his fingers he began, “One, don’t turn your back to the cage, two, don’t ever let the dinosaurs out of their cage, and three, don’t ever go into a dinosaur cage.” He stood up, holding his hands up in defeat. “That’s it. That is my knowledge.”

“Fuck,” Harry groaned, pulling himself off the floor. “Okay, well, I think one of the statements said something about hanging out in trees.” He bit his lip, sending Liam a dubious shrug.

“Okay. That’s our plan. We’ll just live in the trees for the rest of our lives.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, all right. Let’s have another investigation.” He ran a hand through his matted hair. “Might be a radio or something here, we can call for help.”

Ten minutes later Harry’s shouts echoed around the corridor. “Liam! Hey, Liam!” There was an urgency to his words that made Liam’s throat tighten. He cursed his own stupidity for suggesting they split up.

“Harry!” he yelled, sprinting down the corridor towards Harry’s voice. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

Liam hurtled around the corner to see Harry’s grinning face. “I’m fine,” Harry said. “I’ve come up with a plan.” Harry raised his hand, pointing inwards towards the dusty room behind him. It was a workshop, that much was obvious, tools and equipment lining the walls. On the floor in the corner Liam could see a standard issue tool box and he wondered how the design could change so little in over twenty years.

“Oh, yeah?” Liam panted. He almost laughed as he saw the two four by fours waiting for him on the workshop floor.

“Reckon a mechanic is just what we needed, after all.”

~

“They’re not here, Louis, this is stupid,” Niall complained, the oppressive heat of the forest bearing down on them.

Louis bit his lip, trying to find a path ahead. He didn’t have a clue what he was doing. They’d headed into the forest after arriving at the Cretaceous Cruise dock to find it abandoned. Louis could see now that it had been an idiotic idea to come out here. The trees surrounding them made the place feel too claustrophobic to keep properly calm and the strange noises emanating from the dark depths on all sides were disconcerting to say the least. What on earth had he been thinking, coming out here to find Harry and Liam? He was a school teacher, for pity’s sake, not Bear Grylls.

The further they wandered into the thick undergrowth, the more Louis’ confidence waned. He felt uneasy, Niall’s careful footsteps behind him like a heavy burden that he’d placed on himself. It was exactly this type of not looking before he leapt that got him into stupid situations. It’s why he’d messed things up with Liam, and now it was why he was going to get himself and his friend eaten by a fucking tyrannosaurus rex, or worse.

He stopped in a small clearing near the rushing river, trying to push down the embarrassment he felt, leading the two of them on a wild goosechase. “Look, just five more minutes, alright?” he sighed, pulling at the clammy coat he was wearing. When Niall didn’t reply, he turned to his friend with a frown. “What?”

Niall wasn’t looking at him, however. He was staring across the river, his eyes narrowed. “There’s a raft,” he said, simply.

Louis shifted, bringing his hands to his mouth. “Is there - Is there anyone in it?” He was practically whispering, digging his teeth underneath his nails.

“No, I can’t see.” Niall ran his hand across his jaw, eyeing the landscape around him. His eyes landed on a nearby tree, which extended high above their heads. “Hang on,” he muttered.

“Niall, what are you -” Louis hissed, eyes bugging as Niall began to tug on the lower tree branches, testing their weight. Apparently satisfied, he pulled himself up, clambering from branch to branch while Louis looked on from below. “Be careful!” Louis warned, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings.

Once Niall had reached a high enough point, he stopped. Louis could see his legs dangling high above his head, the bottom of his boots caked in mud. “Oh, shit,” Louis heard Niall exclaim.

“What? Is it them?” Louis shouted, all his worry about dinosaurs vanishing at the prospect of something happening to Liam. “Are they okay?”

“They’re not there,” Niall replied, wincing and panting as he rushed back down to the ground. “I think they were though. Harry’s stupid cap is there.” He jumped from the final branch, landing in front of a pale and worried Louis. “I mean, it might not be. There are bound to be -”

Louis silenced him with a glare. He didn’t want to hear Niall’s false words of comfort right now. He ducked his head, hiding his face in his hand as he took several deep breaths, trying to calm the panic rising inside him. He stumbled across the uneven ground, pushing away Niall’s outstretched arm. When he felt something hard beneath his foot he stopped, frowning at his shoes.

“Is that Liam’s?” he asked, bending down to pick up the radio he’d stepped on. “Why’d they leave the raft?”

He turned to Niall, who jaw was locked, his expression grave. “I don’t know,” he croaked.

“Can you tell where they went?”

Niall shifted, clearly irritated. “I’m not a track dog, Lou,” he snapped.

“No, I know, but -” Louis face crumpled up against his will. He couldn’t keep the sheer panic he was feeling inside him anymore.

On seeing Louis’ imminent breakdown, Niall shifted his tone. “Don’t freak out,” he said, softly. He reached out to take hold of Louis’ wrists, pulling him so the two of them were eye to eye. “Don’t assume the worst, okay? We don’t know anything. They’ll probably be heading towards the resort, trying to find us.”

“Oh, God,” Louis wailed. “We should’ve stayed there. You said so. Why didn’t I listen? You should’ve made me listen.” Louis shoved Niall’s chest in frustration, though Niall kept a tight hold on him. “Fuck.”

“Louis,” Niall started. “We’re here now, okay. Let’s just deal with what we know.” He nodded his encouragement and, after a short pause, Louis nodded back. Niall let out a shaky breath of relief. “The road is somewhere west of here. We should head that way. It’s our safest bet, most of the animals out here will stay sheltered rather than expose themselves on the road.”

“Yeah, okay,” Louis sniffed and gave his head a shake, trying to clear his head. “Niall, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have -”

“Stop apologising, you daft beggar,” Niall cut him off with a small smile. “You were trying to help. Don’t be sorry for that.”

Continuing on their misguided and half-abandoned rescue mission, the pair crept onwards. Louis was sure they were getting more lost the deeper into the forest they went. The sound of the forest got louder, becoming more obscure.

“Can you hear something?” Niall asked, after a moment. He narrowed his eyes, as if listening harder. “I can hear people talking, I’m sure of it.”

Louis frowned, attempting to focus on the sound around him. He couldn’t hear anything different. Just when he thought he could decipher a distance rumbling, like the powerful flow of the river, his brain caught up with his eyes. In his concentration he’d been staring at the ground, unseeing. “Shit,” Louis gasped. Ahead of them, a clearly defined footprint had been imprinted in the mud. The size of it stole the air from Louis’ lungs. It was larger than a man’s torso. Louis dreaded to think about what kind of animal could make a footprint that size. “Shit,” he repeated, reaching out to grab Niall’s shirt. “What the fuck is it? Is it a t-rex?” Niall was silent as Louis began to panic once more. “Oh, God. Niall, what if they’ve been killed? They can’t be dead. We should never have come here, it was a -”

Louis stopped mid sentence as a heavy drop splattered on his arm where he’d pushed up his coat sleeves. It had stopped raining hours ago, though remnants of the downpour still trickled through the forest canopy. It was not a raindrop that disturbed Louis so much. Against the lightly tanned hue of his skin, the splash of dark red was a vivid contrast.

“Is that blood?” Niall asked, as a second red drop landed, right next to the first.

The two of them moved slowly, attempting to keep perfectly silent. Louis could feel his lip shaking already, terrified at what they’d see. His eyes roved the canopy above them, searching frantically for the source of the blood.

“I can’t see,” he whispered, his hand still twisted in Niall’s shirt.

A low growl, like the purring of a tiger, came from above their heads. Louis felt Niall grip his elbow, pulling the two of them slowly backwards and away from their invisible assailant.

Niall let out a trembling breath. “Something - Something’s there,” he spoke, barely more than a whisper.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the scene in front of them morphed. Instead of the green leafy backdrop Louis thought he was looking at, claws appeared, a pair of eyes blinked, scales were pulled back to reveal sharp, bloodied fangs. With a loud rumble the creature that had appeared before their eyes shifted, it’s skin becoming paler and unlike its dark, mossy surroundings.

He let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. As the gigantic dinosaur gave an almighty roar, he and Niall set off at a sprint. Louis had never run so fast in his life, his throat quickly began to burn from lack of oxygen. He couldn’t tell properly where he was going, simply moving forward, not looking back. All he could think of was how those teeth would cut right through him, how he’d be ripped apart, gone in a second if he stopped moving.

“Chuck your coat,” Niall yelled, pulling his own bright yellow water proof over his head as he did so.

Fearful tears spilled from Louis’ eyes as his tugged at his coat, not allowing himself to slow down. He could hear the dinosaur stomping behind them, the sound unrelenting. When he finally managed to detach the coat from his body he threw it to the side. Allowing himself a second to look over his shoulder, he saw, his heart leaping, that the creature had become distracted by the action, following the path of the coat as it lay on the forest floor. Louis knew it wouldn’t take long for it to return its focus to them and he and Niall took the chance to put some space between them and the pursuing animal.

They managed to reach a slight clearing, a shallow stream running through it, before the ominous return of the thundering footsteps.

“Louis!” someone shouted into the cavernous landscape.

The shout of his name reached his ears, though he almost couldn’t believe that it was real. He came to a shocked standstill in the middle of the forest, his eyes landing on Harry, standing on the other side of the stream. Behind him a brightly coloured four by four was parked up on a dirt track. Standing tall on the rear seats, his grip on the frame tight enough to whiten his knuckles, Liam stared open-mouthed. Louis was frozen. He couldn’t believe they’d found each other, it was a fucking miracle. Niall brought Louis crashing down to the ground once more, though, when he tackled him from behind and jerked him forward.

“What the fuck?” he yelled. “ _Move_.”

Over his shoulder he heard Harry shout something else, his words blended together in a wash of panic. Unable to do anything to help Harry and Liam, Niall continued to shove Louis forward towards the light waterfall at the far end of the stream. Louis could tell when they scrambled across the rocks that there was a cavern behind it, though how far it went wasn’t clear. He prayed to high heaven that the dinosaur wouldn’t be able to follow them through.

They barged through the pummelling curtain of water and Louis slammed into the rocky wall behind, spinning around to keep his eye on the entrance. He and Niall pressed themselves as close as possible to the back of the cave wall and waited. He couldn’t decided if he wanted the dinosaur the leave them alone, or to come after them instead of Harry and Liam. Niall’s arms caged Louis in where they rested either side of his face. He could feel Niall’s chest rising and falling rapidly against his own. He began to think that the worst of it was over, that the dinosaur had lost interest, when a dark shadow flickered beyond the window of water at the cave’s entrance.

He knew it was coming, but when the horrific head of the creature burst through the water, he let out a scream. Niall was rushing out a litany of curses in his ear, pressing closer still as the dinosaur’s teeth snapped less than a metre away from them. Blood and saliva from the dinosaur’s jaw splattered across the two of them as the creature continued to roar. The animal seemed to tire of trying to reach them with its teeth and its snout retreated, only to be replaced with its long claw, scratching repeatedly against the cave floor.

Louis sucked in quick breaths, watching in horror as the sharp claws dug into the ground, thankfully not able to reach the two of them. There was shouting from beyond the waterfall and Louis stared, eyes wide, as the scaly arm of the dinosaur vanished. Its roars could be heard for a few minutes longer until everything fell quiet.

With a racing heart, Louis inched closer to the water. His hands trembled and he suppressed a terrified sob before he pushed through the cascading water into the unknown.

~

When Louis emerged from the cave behind the waterfall, Liam didn’t think he’d ever been so pleased to see someone in his life. He’d watched in horror as the dinosaur had stuck its head into the crevice, terrified that Louis and Niall would be trapped, ripped to pieces with no escape.

“Louis, what the hell!?” Liam yelled, his fear of getting clawed completely outweighed by his anger and worry at the sight of Louis drenched, shivering, and covered in dirt. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you.” Louis’ words were hard to make out underneath the chattering of his teeth and the heavy rasp in his voice. He looked so small, his eyes wide as he stumbled across the forest floor towards Liam.

“It’s not safe here,” he chastised, though he imagined the relieved look on his face negated most of the bite in his words. In his periphery he could see Niall making his way towards Harry.

Louis frowned when they finally reached each other. “I know that,” he whined. He looked up at Liam through his eyelashes, hair in disarray. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

The picture tugged at Liam’s heartstrings and he dropped his shoulders, reaching out to run his hands up and down Louis’ arms. “You could’ve died,” he warned. “You could’ve -” His voice vanished when he was interrupted by a now familiar thudding in the distance. He spun on the spot, catching Harry’s terrified expression. “It’s coming back,” he muttered under his breath. The colour drained from Louis’ face. “It’s coming back!” he repeated, louder, so everyone could hear. “Under the car,” he hissed, pulling Louis with him towards the vehicle. “Everyone, _now_.”

Quickly grabbing a jerry can of petrol from the back of the car, Liam followed the three of them as they scrambled along the ground. They dragged themselves into the tight space between the bottom of the car and the forest floor, panting with the effort. His hands shaking, Liam rushed to unscrew the can lid and dowsed each of them in the pungent liquid.

“What the -” Harry started, but Liam interjected.

“It’ll cover the smell,” he cautioned.

They clung to each other like children, united by terror. When the monster came into view once more, all Liam could see were its feet. Branches fell along its path as it brought a wave of destruction into the forest with it. Liam knew it was getting closer, the horrid, guttural purring noise it made sounding like it was right next to his ear. He couldn’t bring himself to look, instead he kept his eyes trained on the bottom of the vehicle, focusing intently on the rusty siderail. Lying next to him, Niall was taking deep, shaky breaths. There was a loud huff and Niall’s hair ruffled as the dinosaur’s breath washed over them.

Turning his head, oh so slowly, Liam saw the bloodied teeth of the dinosaur, it’s snout grazing the forest floor. Less than a foot from his face, he could see the animal’s gums, smell its breath, watch as it flared its nostrils. When it opened its jaw, he tried to brace himself. The creature roared and the four men trapped under the car flinched. Liam tightened his grip on Louis’ leg. God, that roar. It was impossible to get used to, it was the stuff of nightmares.

The noise was so encompassing that, even as the dinosaur began to leave, Liam still had to fight down the urge to sob in fear. He watched, shaking, as the gigantic, clawed feet got smaller and smaller until they eventually vanished into the forest.

It took several long minutes for anyone to summon the courage to move. Even when the forest was quiet, bar the rasping sounds of their heightened breathing, the roar of the creature still rang in their ears.

Dusting himself off as he hoisted himself from underneath the car, Liam asked, “Is everyone okay?” A vague chorus answered the affirmative. “Louis, are you alright?” Louis was righting himself, looking shaken and pale still, dripping with petrol. “What were you thinking, coming out here?” Liam said, striding over to him to pick up where he left off.

He had been intending to continue to vent for a little while longer, the most recent dinosaur encounter sending his stress levels through the roof. He was stopped, however, when Louis lurched forward and threw his arms around Liam’s neck.

“I’m sorry,” Louis blurted out, his breath hot against Liam’s neck as Liam stumbled. Liam embraced him, pulling him closer until they were gathered together, his cheek pressed against the side of Louis’ head. “Liam, all that stuff I said before, about it not meaning anything - None of it was true. It _did_ mean something.”

“No - I -” Liam couldn’t get the words out. “Fuck, me too, Louis. Of course it did,” he almost laughed, feeling somewhat hysterical. He ran his fingers through Louis’ soft hair, blinking rapidly as he tried to process Louis’ words.

Louis pulled away, taking Liam’s face in his hands. Upon seeing the tears welling in his eyes, he leant closer, their foreheads touching. “We found your walkie talkie,” Louis carried on. “I thought you were dead.”

“I’m okay. I’m okay, we’ll be okay,” Liam soothed. Now he was closer to Louis, now he could really look at him properly, he noticed that Louis’ clothes were tinged with red. “Lou,” he gasped. “You’re covered in blood.”

Louis shook his head. “I don’t think it’s mine. Just whatever that dinosaur was eating before.” He nodded, as if trying to convince himself. “I’m fine.”

Silence fell between them, he could feel the heat of Louis staring at him. His heartbeat sped up, his nerves tingling as his eyes travelled across Louis’ face. His gaze flicked to Louis’ lips, memories of the last time he felt their touch filling his mind. This was it, he thought. Part of him wanted to sweep Louis off his feet there and then, but the rest of him knew they didn’t have time. They had to get out of the forest. It would be getting dark in a few hours.

The moment was interrupted by Niall’s conspicuous cough. “I’m okay, too,” Harry croaked, waving at them weakly. It was clear he’d been intending to make a joke, but his red rimmed eyes and ripped clothes told a different story.

“Harry, shit,” Louis started, abandoning Liam and rushing over to his friend, enveloping him in a hug. “You’re hurt,” he gushed, laying a gentle hand on Harry’s bleeding arm.

“‘Tis but a scratch,” Harry dismissed. When Louis simply scowled, he waved towards Liam. “Liam pushed me off a cliff.”

Liam rolled his eyes, watching Louis push Harry’s hair out of his eyes. “Oh, I did not,” he huffed.

“No, he didn’t,” Harry agreed. “He saved my life.”

“Well, whatever.” Liam shifted his weight, both delighted and embarrassed at the impressed smile Louis was sending his way. “Since we’re talking about saving lives, shall we leave? Before that thing comes back for round three?”

As Harry and Louis clambered on board the Jeep, Niall took him to one side. “Liam,” he mumbled, his face a picture of worry.

“Niall, bro.” Liam pulled him in for a hug, each of them clapping each other on the back. “What’s that?” he asked, feeling something sharp digging into this side.

“It left Louis and I a parting gift in that cave,” Niall shrugged, waving one of the creature’s long teeth in front of Liam’s face. “Thought it might help us identify it, when we get back to the lab.” Liam grunted, eyeing up the dangling flesh at the base of the tooth in distaste. “That animal, whatever it was,” Niall continued, cocking his head towards the trail of snapped branches heading away from them.

“What about it?”

“Have you seen it?” Niall folded his arms and raised his eyebrows. “What it can do?”

“It can see us, I know that much. I thought it was a t-rex at first, but,” he trailed off, not sure how to relay his thoughts on the matter.

Niall stepped closer, his eyes focused on Liam’s. “It can camouflage itself,” he said.

Liam frowned. “What? Jesus Christ.” He felt suddenly like he was being watched, the movement in the tree canopy above full of suspicion.

“The Asset Containment Unit should have locked this down hours ago. We shouldn’t even know if something’s escaped, they’re supposed to recapture with as little noise as possible. This -” he waved his arm over his shoulder. “This is not supposed to happen.”

“Shit,” Liam gulped. “It’s bad, huh?”

“Reckon so.”

Harry whistled from the car, tapping his imaginary watch, and the two of them sprung into action. With the Jeep they cut a determined path through the foliage, Liam eager to return to the resort as soon as possible. Next to him in the passenger seat, Louis shivered, wrapping his arms around himself.

“Are you cold?” Liam asked.

Louis shrugged and mumbled, “Not really.”

“You’re shaking.” Liam reached out, giving his leg a gentle squeeze.

“Yeah.”

Liam tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “We’ll be back at the resort soon,” he reassured.

They broke the treeline as the sun was low in the sky. The worn suspension of the four by four jolted them all in their seats as Liam steered them across the open planes of the apatosaurus reserve.

“Stop,” Niall yelled from the back and Liam slammed on the breaks, jerking them all forward.

“What?”

Niall didn’t answer him, however. He vaulted over the side of the jeep and ran across the grass up the slight incline.

“Niall?” Liam shouted and jumped out of the car after him. “Niall, where are you - Oh,” he stopped short upon reaching the crest of the hill. “Oh, my God.”

“Jesus,” he heard Louis mutter at his elbow as he and Harry joined him.

Ahead of them, the undulating hills of the reserve were laden with the carcuses of countless apatosauruses. Their giant bodies collapsed on their sides, long necks and tails splayed out where they’d fallen. Liam could see blood dripping from scratches and bite marks all over their bodies.

The three of them watched in silence as Niall approached the nearest animal. He crouched down next to its head and cradled it in his lap. Liam let out a surprised breath when the dinosaur groaned.

“It’s still alive,” Harry whispered, in awe, as he set off towards the scene.

Liam looked over to Louis. “Did you want to -” He bit his lip, nodding towards the where both Harry and Niall were now kneeling by the dying creature.

The other man stared at the animal, worrying his lip before turning to Liam. “It’s going to die?”

“Yeah.”

Louis stayed silent for beat longer. “It’s funny,” he said, his voice rough.

“What is?” Liam frowned.

“You don’t think of them as animals. When you’re here, you know. It’s not really like a zoo, is it? You don’t really think of them being born and dying.” Louis shrugged. “It’s like they’re not real.” Louis’ voice cracked as he spoke and Liam stepped closer. “But they are,” Louis continued. “They breathe and bleed and -” He swallowed. “Just like us.”

Unsure of what to say to make Louis feel better, Liam stumbled over his words. “It’s not normally like this, they - They’re looked after.”

“I know, sorry.” Louis dragged a hand across his face. “I’m just a bit tired from all the running,” he sighed, “and screaming.”

He looked tired, Liam thought, covered in dirt and blood and God knows what else. Underneath the grime his skin was as pale as Liam had ever seen it, dark circles like shadows under his eyes. Liam stepped closer still and pressed a soft kiss into the top of Louis’ head, feeling the other man lean his weight against him. “Thank you,” he muttering against Louis’ skin.

“What for?”

“For coming to find me.”

Louis huffed, tickling Liam’s neck. “Didn’t do a particularly effective job.”

“No,” Liam relented. “But I appreciate the sentiment. Come on,” he offered, leading Louis to the bleeding creature.

“Is she in pain?” Louis asked, as they joined the quiet moment.

Niall remained silent. Instead of answering, he continued to run his hands along the animal’s long neck, which seemed to calm it. Her breathing was laboured, her eyes flicking between the group. “Won’t be long,” Niall said, his voice level, not taking his eyes off the dinosaur.

It felt like it carried on for an age, a moment suspended above the speed and the terror of before. By the time the magnificent creature took its last breath there were silent tears rolling down Harry’s cheeks. The mood was decidedly sombre.

“You okay, mate?” Liam asked Niall as they returned to the car, Louis trailing behind them to try and comfort Harry.

“It didn’t eat them. It’s killing for sport.” Niall said with a scowl.

“What does that mean?” Liam responded. He looked across the landscape, the animal corpses littered in a trail of destruction.

“Something,” Niall muttered, his voice low, “is not right.”

The rest of the car journey was quiet. Everyone was too tired, too on edge against dinosaur attacks, or too confused as to what the hell was actually happening to keep up conversation.

In the rear view mirror Liam could see Harry resting his head on Louis’ shoulder, Louis himself staring out to the world around them. As Liam continued to gaze, Louis turned, meeting his eye in the reflection. A blush shot up Liam’s face and he jerked his head to the front, though he couldn’t ignore the soft laughter that came from the seat behind him.

It felt like he hadn’t had a moment to rest in hours, his mind working a mile a minute. He thought about what Louis had said back in the forest. At the time, it had definitely sounded like Louis had meant he wanted something more. Liam trawled over the words Harry had spoken that morning, that Louis was worried he’d lost Liam forever. Was Louis really in love with him? That was certainly the simplest answer. Liam could hardly believe that it was true.

When he’d first seen Louis and Niall in the forest, running from that creature, he’d felt sick to his stomach. It wasn’t really until that moment that he’d realised exactly how much he loved Louis. He had known he’d loved him, of course; he’d spent many a tortuous hour coming to that conclusion. He’d thought he would be okay without him, though. He’d thought that he could carry on loving him in secret. Now he knew that wasn’t an option. He needed to be with Louis, to at least try. If there was a chance, the smallest chance in the world, that Louis felt something more for him, he couldn’t let the opportunity pass him by.

He chanced another look at Louis in the mirror. He still had mud caked on his face, dark drops of blood staining his t-shirt. The idea that Louis could die, without knowing exactly what Liam felt for him, how important he was in Liam’s life, was inconceivable to Liam now.

“I’m going to call Zayn,” Louis announced, bringing the rest of them back to their senses and cutting Liam’s introspection to an end. “See if anyone knows back home. I don’t really want to worry my mum if I don’t have to.”

Liam watched with bated breath as Louis dialled. He hoped nobody outside of the park knew what was happening. His mum had been worried enough as it was when he told her what his new job was. She’d insist on a phone call every hour if she found out about this. It struck Liam, then, that there was a high chance the park would be shut down if the dinosaur wasn’t recaptured soon. It had already attacked the four of them, they could probably close the resort just for that. Visitor safety was key to it’s success.

The tinny, far away sound of Zayn’s voice poured from Louis’ phone.

“Hang on, mate, I’ll put you on speaker,” Louis half shouted. Liam smiled, turning his head away. Louis had a habit of speaking abnormally loudly when he was on the phone. It was a joke the rest of them shared, though Louis himself was oblivious. It was something that Liam had found ridiculously endearing, since they first met. “Heard the news, then?” Louis continued.

“ _I don’t know. The BBC just broke the story,_ ” Zayn said. It was strange, how far away Zayn felt right now. If Liam missed their evenings at the pub before, he sure as hell yearned for them now. “ _They said there’s been an incident at the park and that the visitors are being ‘secured’, whatever the hell that means. Did someone get, like, eaten?”_ Zayn sounded a little hysterical, his voice taking on a panicked pitch.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” Louis replied. “Not yet.”

Zayn spluttered and lowered his voice to a frantic whisper. Liam wondered where he was, it must have been almost eleven back home. “ _Not yet?_ ” he echoed.

“I don’t know. There’s a dinosaur that’s broken free.”

The was a pause before Zayn asked, “ _A bad one?_ ”

“Fuck knows, your guess is as good as mine.” Louis raised his hands in despair. “Niall doesn’t even know which one it is.”

“ _What? But, Niall knows dinosaurs._ ”

Harry let out a deep chuckle. Niall did know dinosaurs. He’d bored the rest of them stupid at university, with his updates on what advancements InGen were making. Liam was starting to wish he’d paid more attention.

“Well, I don’t know this one,” Niall piped up.

Louis sighed. “Whatever it is, it’s big and it’s fucking scary. Listen, can you call our families? Just let them know that we’re fine.”

“ _Sure,_ ” Zayn agreed. “ _The others are all okay? Are you together?_ ”

“Yeah,” Louis replied as the rest of them mumbled their assent. “We’ll send you a picture, as proof.” Louis’ eyes travelled across Liam’s face as he watched in the mirror. “Glad you’re not here, Zayn,” Louis said softly. “It’s nice to hear your voice.”

“ _Fuck, it’ll be -_ ” Zayn said, though he was cut off. There was static in the background before his voice returned “ _\- what they tell you. Stay out of trouble._ ” They must be near one of the radio towers, Liam mused, that always messed with phone signal. That meant near civilisation.

“Will do. Promise,” Louis assured.

“Almost there,” Liam called out, turning around to ensure everyone heard him.

Louis nodded. “We should go. I’ll call you again later, all right?”

“ _Yeah, all right,_ ” Zayn replied, sounding exhausted. _“Love you guys._ ” He paused for a moment before adding a cautious, _“Stay safe._ ”

“Will do,” Louis repeated. “Love you.” The rest of them yelled their goodbyes towards the phone before Louis hung up. “Right,” he huffed, shaking his head to get his hair out of his eyes. He pushed Harry towards the front seats and raised his phone. “Everyone smile and look like it’s all fine,” he said through gritted teeth as the camera flashed.

With their torn clothes and disillusioned expressions, Liam didn’t think they did a particularly convincing job.

On the horizon, the bright colours and sleek edges of the resort were a welcoming sight. It felt safe, with its corporate sponsors and expensive fountains. It was a carefully maintained world of joy and excitement. No monsters from the deep could get them there. Even as the thought settled in his mind, he knew none of it was true. That beast would find its next meal from wherever necessary.

 


	6. Chapter 6

_ “All your life, other people will try to take your accomplishments away from you.  _

_ Don't you take it away from yourself.” _

**Main Street, Jurassic World, Isla Nublar**

The shear number of people cooped up in the central resort was oppressive. Louis grimaced as the four of them weaved their way in and out of the crowd. Niall had said that there were over twenty thousand visitors on the island, and it certainly seemed like it. The adults stood close together, their worried expressions at odds with their brightly coloured holiday clothes. Children continued to play, oblivious to their parents’ anxiety. Louis wondered how long it would take that dinosaur to eat twenty thousand people. As his eyes washed over the families and friends chatting nervously around him, all gathered together, his stomach lurched. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel. 

“I’ve gotta find Auntie Niamh,” Niall muttered under his breath. He had a sombre frown on his face as he stopped to let a few kids run past him. 

Louis followed him without question. He didn’t recognise the route they were heading down, but he didn’t have the energy to seek clarification. At his side Harry was awkwardly trying to hide his bloodied arm. Liam’s eyes were darting across across the crowd, as if looking for potential threats. Louis slowed his pace, to keep in step with Liam. It may have been a stupid thought, since they were surrounded by people, but Louis felt infinitely safer the closer he was to Liam. 

They eventually reached what looked liked the headquarters of island operations, Niall receiving a nod from the security as they passed. After a furtive glance around the room Louis came to the conclusion that none of these people had come into contact with the escaped dinosaur. Everyone still looked clean, if a little stressed. Louis’ skin was itching under layers of dried mud. The room was dark and windowless, the main light source being the gigantic screen plastered against the wall, showing live feeds from various parts of the resort. In front of it rows of individual control screens flashed as workers rushed out instructions down their radio sets. 

It was a world away from the rainforest outside.

“Niall! Oh, my God, where have you been?” The shrill, panicked voice echoed from across the way. The four of them spun around to find the source, and were welcomed by the sight of Niamh herself rushing towards them. The clacking of her heels was loud against the vinyl floor. “I’ve been trying to call you for hours!” Her eyes were wide as she pulled Niall into a tight hug and Louis felt something pull in his chest. He couldn’t imagine having of his little nephews here while carnivorous dinosaur was on the loose. “Why the hell didn’t you come back?”

Niall let out a frustrated grunt, pushing away from his aunt. “Sorry, Niamh, we’ve been a bit distracted being chased down by a gigantic, bloodthirsty dinosaur,” he drawled. “What have you been hiding on this island!?”

As a rueful expression travelled across Niamh’s face, she was joined by another familiar figure. It took a second for Louis to recognise the man as Peter, the guy Harry had taken a dislike to from the velociraptor training. He could hardly believe it had been less than twenty four hours since they’d last met; so much had come to pass.

“That is classified,” Peter said, with a cough.

“‘Classified’!?” Niall half shouted. He took a step closer to the pair, his arms gesticulating fiercely. “You better tell me what’s going on. I swear, Niamh, I don’t care if we’re family, I’ll go to the press. I’ll tell everyone what you’ve been hiding.”

Louis had seen Niall go off at precisely three people before in the time he’d known him. The first time had been in freshers week at university, a few days after they had first met, and he’d seen Niall take down one of his bigoted flatmates with a few choice words. The second time had been when Liam had just had his car accident and Liam’s boss had tried to fire him. The third time had been when Niall’s neighbour had keyed his new car. That had been a particularly dramatic experience. And so while it wasn’t an entirely new sight, it was always a bit jarring to see the typically happy-go-lucky man red in the face with anger. Louis could only agree that the situation called for it, nonetheless. They had almost died.

Niamh opened her mouth to respond, when Peter beat her to it. “Just a second, Seward,” he croaked. He narrowed his eyes at her and cocked his head. The two of them retreated to the opposite end of the Control Room and leant their heads together, exchanging conspiring whispers.

Harry shifted his weight and Louis could see in his periphery that Liam had begun to pace the floor. He kept his focus on the hushed pair, wondering what on earth was going on. 

“Where were you when you saw the asset?” Peter asked, as he approached the group once more.

An almighty groan escaped Niall’s lips and he clenched his fist in frustration. “I couldn’t say exactly. Maybe one, two kilometres to the west of the Cretaceous Cruise. And we didn’t just see it, all right? It was fucking hunting us!”

“Shit,” Peter hissed. “It’s getting closer to the resort.” He turned to Niamh. “We need to act, Seward.”

“This - This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Niamh mumbled, her eyes travelling across the large screen, where visitors were packed on Main Street. 

“But what is it?” Niall insisted. “Where did it come from?”

By this point, Niamh was dragging her hands through her hair, her long nails leaving raised marks against her skin. “That’s above your pay grade,” she sighed, defeatedly.

There was a beat before Peter added, “It’s a genetically modified dinosaur. One we created. A hybrid.”

“Peter!” Niamh yelled. She cast a surreptitious look around the office, though nobody was close enough to have heard what he said. 

Peter shrugged. “Look, if they’re going to help, the need to know the detail.” Louis frowned, wondering what the hell he meant by that. 

“They are not  _ going _ to help,” Niamh snapped. “They are getting shipped off this island on the first ferry that comes in.”

“Genetically modified?” Niall scoffed, ignoring Niamh’s response. “You’ve been making new dinosaurs? What in heaven’s name possessed you to do that?”

Niamh folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow towards Niall. “It’s business,” she said, simply.

“The indominus rex,” Peter said, voice gruff. “Part t-rex, part who the hell knows.”

Next to him, Harry huffed. “Who the hell  _ does _ know?” His forehead creased underneath the dried mud on his skin. “You can’t create a dinosaur and not know what’s in it.”

When neither responded, Niall scoffed, shaking his head. “It can camouflage, you know,” he said. “Did you decide that you wanted to create the most dangerous creature possible, then? Is that what’s best for the punters?”

Niamh pursed her lips. “Some of the side effects have been -” Turning her face away and narrowing her eyes, she finished, “Unpredictable.”

There was a pregnant pause, where the four men tried to process what they’d been told. Louis could hardly comprehend it. Why would anybody create a new type of killer dinosaur? Were the t-rex and the ‘raptors not dangerous enough?

“It’s going to kill people,” Liam’s words were rough, breaking the silence. “What?” he added, when Niamh pressed her palm against her face. “What is it it?”

“There’s -” Niamh cut herself off, looking pained. “She’s already taken out the fleet of A.C.U.”

“Jesus Christ,” Louis breathed.

Peter seemed to remain unbothered, announcing, “I have a plan.” Louis began to question if he’d even seen the creature they were up against. He was no dinosaur expert, but he’d question whether any man-made weapon could take it down.

“Oh, right. Have you seen this thing?” Niall said what Louis was thinking. “Your plan better be to get fucking bazooka and blast it.”

Niamh hissed, “There is twenty three million dollars invested in that thing.”

“And?”

“Look,” Peter reached his hands out between the bickering relatives before turning to face Niall. “You know I’ve been working with the ‘raptors, training them.”

“Are you - Are you saying what I think you are?” Niall asked with a frown. 

“The velociraptors can help us. They can track the indominus down, we can take it from there.”

“Can you hear yourself? Peter, you’ve lost it.” Niall gave a hollow laugh. “Those ‘raptors are nowhere near - There is no -” He stumbled over his words, clearly having a hard time expressing his astonishment. “You’ll be making it ten times worse.”

“No,” Peter insisted. “This is our chance to show the world what they can do. What we can do.”

“It’s absurd.”

“Niall’s right. It is ridiculous,” Niamh interrupted. “We need to bring in the Asset Containment reserves and lock her down.” Louis was pleased for her words, sure she must have more say than Peter. He was barely following the animal trainers argument at all. 

“It will have taken out half the island by the time reinforcements arrive,” Peter plowed on, sparing Niamh a sideways glance. “Look, it’s happening. I’ve got the go ahead from the boss.” He let out a long sigh, his body sagging in front of them. “Niall, my team’s gone. I need your help, you’re the only one with any real experience with them left.” Louis thought he sounded like a strange mixture of defeated and yet still definant. Like he knew it was a bad idea, but he wasn’t going to let anybody stop him. “We don’t have  a choice. This is happening with or without you.”

It was a stand-off, one which Niall retreated from. He stalked away, the other three following hot on his heels. 

“Fucking hell,” Louis spat out as soon as they were far enough away not to be heard. “Niall, don’t -”

Niall spoke over him, however, a frustrated litany of, “Shit, shit, shit,” spilling from his lips. He dragged his hands across his face, clearly hosting a vicious internal war.

It dawned on Louis, after a second and he dropped his shoulders, his disbelief taking over. “You’re gonna do it, aren’t you?” he said, plaintively. 

A pained expression appeared on Niall’s face, though it vanished quickly. “It’s happening anyway. I’ve got a good relationship with those ‘raptors. It might make a difference.”

“Niall, this is insane,” Louis hissed. He stabbed his finger at Niall’s chest. “You’ll get yourself killed.”

“Peter needs me.”

“Peter can go do one.”

“I’ll help you.” As soon as Liam’s words reached his ears Louis levelled him with an all encompassing glare. “No, Louis, come on,” Liam retorted, clearly hearing the disapproval Louis was sending his way. “I can’t let him go out there by himself.”

Louis scoffed, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You don’t know anything about the velociraptors, though. You said so yourself!” He rounded on Niall. “Niall, are you going to let this happen?” he challenged, waving his hand towards Liam. “You going to get yourself killed and Liam? Seriously?”

Niall shifted his weight. “Louis, don’t be angry at me.”

“I’m not - You can’t -” Louis spluttered. “Harry, can you tell them?” he breathed, knowing that they’d listen to Harry. 

The other man remained quiet for a moment, his thoughtful gaze flicking between Liam and Niall until his said, hesitantly, “I mean, maybe it would be better.” At Louis’ responding groan, he quickly rushed, “We can’t do nothing and he said there weren't any other options. Liam could bring his bike, you know.” He waved his arms. “Get some speed up.”

It was all Louis could do to whine, “ _ Harry _ .”

“Someone has to do something. That thing can’t just be left to roam about the park.” Harry eyed him, pleading. “There are kids here.”

“Then evacuate them! Don’t be - Oh, my God.” Louis buried his head in his hands. This was a nightmare. 

He felt Liam’s fingers close around his wrist, pulling his hands away from his face. “There’s no time, Louis.” He spoke softly, as if to a child, and Louis hated him a little for it. He hated all of them, for acting like he was the one being unreasonable. “We can do this now. We can at least try.”

~

Louis scowled as the bustle of activity continued to whirl around him. They were safe here, he was sure of it. Why on earth could they not just stay here and let the professionals sort it out? They’d always joked that Liam had a hero complex, not for one moment had Louis thought it would turn out to be so painfully true. It felt like two minutes ago that he’d actually built up the courage to even hint at how he felt, and now Liam was running head first into danger. Like what Louis said hadn’t even made any difference. And maybe it hadn’t. Maybe Liam didn’t care enough to spare Louis’ feelings on the matter.  _ God, _ maybe Liam was doing this to get away from him. He let himself linger on that thought for a moment before brushing it aside, scolding himself for his own narcissism. Of course Liam wouldn’t dive head first into the jaws of the velociraptors to escape Louis’ affections. Louis felt himself blush, embarrassed at where his mind was taking him. Liam was doing it because he was a good person. 

“Are you cross?” 

Louis jerked his head up, watching Liam as he approached the corner in which Louis had hidden himself away; too angry stay in the middle of the action, too afraid to leave altogether. The tentative bow of Liam’s head thawed his mood a fraction. 

“Yes,” he muttered, maintaining his scowl. 

The heat of Liam’s body warmed Louis’ side as the other man leaned against him. “I’m sorry,” he offered, more of a question than a real apology. “Please don’t be mad at me. Not just now.” Louis declined to answer, turning his face away. He felt Liam lean infinitesimally closer to him. The pair stayed quiet, observing the people around them, their skin shifting softly against each other. 

There was so much Louis wanted to say. Usually, he never had a problem with words. The possibility, though, that he might have them shoved back at him? It had him frozen. He could feel Liam looking at him and he turned his head. In an instant, Liam jerked his neck, staring doggedly at the floor. 

Louis blinked, and took a deep breath. “So, it’s not - Is it okay? What I said before? It won’t make things awkward?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Like, because it -” Louis focused on the a spot railings next to Liam’s head. It was scuffed, the smart black paint peeling off to reveal the metal underneath. “When we spent the night together, when I kissed you, I - Jesus, you’ve got to go and this is so awkward.” He grit his teeth and met Liam’s eyes. 

“Louis, do you not remember be saying it meant something to me too?” Liam was smiling widely, and a little manically. Before Louis could even process why it was a good thing, he felt the knot in his stomach ease.

“I thought, maybe, you were being polite,” he said, a hesitant thread of laughter running through his words. 

“‘Being polite’. Christ, Louis, I’m not  _ that _ nice.” Liam was full on grinning now, his eyes twinkling at Louis. “I would love to - If we could be together.” He reached out, resting his fingers lightly on Louis’ wrist. “That would be, like, all my dreams come true.”

His fingers traced over the delicate bones underneath Louis’ skin. It took no more than a second to pull his arm back and lock their fingers together. “Oh, shut up,” he said, breathless. He had been aiming to tease, but his own body was betraying him. 

“It would,” Liam insisted, squeezing his hand. “I thought you wouldn’t be interested, that’s the only reason I didn’t bring it up. I thought I’d ruin everything.”

Louis’ response died on his lips as a shadow passed over them. They squinted up to where Niall was looming. “Lads,” Niall greeted. He cocked his head over his shoulder. “Liam, it’s time to go, mate.”

In the background Niamh and Peter were hovering anxiously, Harry stood nearby with a solemn expression painting his features.

“Right now?” Liam asked as he rose to his feet, his hand still palm to palm with Louis’.

“I’ll give you a minute.”

“Ni,” Louis started. He stepped forward, grabbing his friend’s shoulder before he could turn away. “Don’t do anything stupid, all right?” he muttered as he wrapped Niall in a hug.

If this were any other situation, he would have expected Niall to come back with a joke. He wasn’t sure how he felt when, instead, the other man said, simply, “I won’t.” 

Then, it was just him and Liam. And Liam was going to leave. 

“I lov-” Liam started, but Louis rushed to him, shaking his head. 

“Don’t say it,” he whispered. 

Immediately, Liam’s eyes widened. “Don’t,” he echoed, looking abashed. “Right, no, too soon.” He ducked his head, rubbing the tips of his fingers against his neck. “Of course, sorry, I’m -”

“It’s not too soon. We’ve known each other for years, Jesus. I just - Don’t say it now, just before you leave.” Louis pushed closer still, until their breath was mingling and he could see the flecks of amber in Liam’s iris’. “We can say it when you come back.”

A strangled whine emanated from the back of Liam’s throat, his forehead creased. “I will come back, Louis,” he said, as if pushing the words out.

“Yeah.”

“I promise.” Liam clasped his hands around Louis’ face. Louis could feel the heat radiating from them, the dampness of his palms. “I promise I’ll come back and I’ll -” Liam’s voice cracked. “I’ll tell you just how much I love you.”

Louis couldn’t take it. He couldn’t have Liam looking at him like this, like he cared, like he was sorry to leave. It was everything Louis had been hoping for, dreaming for, for the last six months. He hated it. “And I can tell you how much I missed you,” he gasped, planting his hands on top of Liam’s. He dug his fingers into the skin beneath. “That the past six months have been completely shit without you and that you make everything better, you make me want to be better. And a second without you is a second wasted. You’re so good, Liam. You’re beautiful, all of you, every last bit and I can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to tell you. I should have said it the moment I first saw you. I’m sorry I’m such an idiot that I couldn’t see what was staring me in the face. I love you, Li, I love you so much. You’re all I want, just please.” He blinked, clearing away his glassy vision. “ _ Please  _ don’t die,” he said, wetly. “I don’t know what I’d do. Please, don’t.”

Liam smiled at him, his cheeks bunching up in joy, so clear even with his crumpled brow. “I thought we weren’t saying it.”

Instead of replying, Louis simply grabbed the lapels of Liam’s shirt and pulled him into a tight embrace. They’d never hugged like this before. He tried to stop making it feel like goodbye, but he was so scared. Their arms were wrapped around each other like a vice, but Louis didn’t want to let go.

~

Over the roof of headquarters the sun was edging closer to the horizon. The sky around them was a dingy grey. Louis had come out onto the roof to avoid the noise of below. It wasn’t the hustle in the room that bothered him, but the technical discussion of the mission, as everyone had taken to calling it. Statistics about the ‘raptors speed. Data on how much force the indominus had powering its jaw. Maps of the ridiculous terrain they would have to cover. Louis could do without it. 

“Are you mad at me?” Harry asked, heading towards him with two steaming polystyrene cups. 

Louis was beginning to sense a theme. “I’m mad at everyone,” he sighed. It wasn’t true, not anymore. He hadn’t changed his mind, but he was tired of being angry.

He and Harry had been shepherded towards the shower block and a fresh change of clothes not long after Liam and Niall had left with the rest of the team. The freshly washed workers uniform was too long on Louis’ legs, the hems dragging gently along the floor. Harry looked years younger dressed in a plain t-shirt instead of his usual, more out-there shirts. 

“Something has to be done, babe,” Harry reasoned. He frowned, eyes falling to the main resort, small in the distance. They could make out the mass of the crowd though, even from there. “That thing’s dangerous.”

“And sending Liam and Niall out there was the best plan anyone could come up with?” Louis raised his eyebrows at Harry. “That Peter’s an idiot.”

Harry inclined his head, as if in agreement. The two of them did generally agree on people’s character. “Well. I think Niall thinks it could work.”

“No he doesn’t.” Louis lent back onto his elbows, squinting up at the cloudy sky. “He said he thought it was a terrible idea. They just don’t want to run. Were we even listening to the same conversation?”

The ghost smirk flickered against Harry’s lips. “I was trying to make you feel better,” he replied, gently shoving Louis.

“Watch the tea,” Louis laughed as he curled his body protectively around his drink. 

They remained outside for a long while and the air began to cool, raising the hairs on the back of Louis’ head. 

“What if -” he started, before shaking his head. 

“Come again?”

His eyes settled on Harry, taking in his drying hair, still curling at his neck, and the dark circles forming under his eyes. He wondered what Harry was thinking, about being here, about if they’d make it back home in one piece. 

“What -” Louis licked his lips. “What if they die?”

Harry didn’t hesitate. “They won’t die.”

“Don’t lie. You can’t know that. We were all almost eaten this morning.” He locked his jaw and felt a twinge of disappointment when Harry turned away. “They could get killed, it could happen. We should have stopped them,” Louis’ voice cracked. “I should have told Liam - Fuck - I should’ve stopped him.” 

Harry didn’t answer. He shuffled his feet, kicking up dust in the air. An immense roar sounded from in the distance, trees shaking far behind them. Louis gasped, his eyes wide, fixed on the spot near the horizon. 

When he felt Harry’s hand fall gently onto his shoulder, he startled. The other man pulled away, though his voice was steady as he said, “It’s nothing, Lou. Calm down.” 

“I know.”

“You and Liam looked like you’ve worked things out,” Harry said, leaning back. Louis knew he was trying to change the conversation, to lighten things up. The absence of any teasing tone in his voice made it clear to Louis, more than anything else, that Harry was feeling the strain as well. 

“Yeah,” Louis huffed, shoulders drawn up. “And now I’m never going to see him again.”

Harry let out a strangled groan. He edged closer resting his head against Louis’ shoulder. “Louis,” he sighed. “Please.  _ Please _ , don’t be like this. They’re going to be okay.”

Without looking at his friend, he frowned, gaze settling in the distance as he worked to get the words out. In the end, they rushed from his lips in a stuttered breath. “I wanted to kiss him so badly.”

“Why didn’t you?” Harry asked. He squeezed Louis’ arm, confusion written on his face. Like it was simple.

Louis took a shaky breath. He sucked on his teeth, trying to calm the rush of emotion coursing through him. “Didn’t - Didn’t want to jinx it,” he said, honestly. Saying it out loud, of course, brought home to Louis exactly how stupid it was. He should have seized the moment. He would never forgive himself, now, if he’d missed the one chance they’d had.

“Love, come here.” The pity was evident in Harry’s voice, but Louis didn’t care. He let himself be pulled into his friend’s arms, taking comfort in the warmth they offered. “They have to do this,” Harry’s deep voice rumbled in his chest. “They’ll do everything thing they can to get back here.”

“I know.”

A few minutes of listening to the beat of Harry’s heart and Louis was feeling calmer. “Oh!” Harry blurted out, shifting beneath him.  

Louis grumbled. “What?” 

“I can’t believe I forgot.” Harry smiled. “I spoke to Zayn again.”

“Yeah?” He perked up a bit at that.

“Yeah. He says that the news is pretty thin on the ground. Probably trying to control what get’s out, I suppose.” Harry shrugged. “I didn’t tell him about the plan.” 

Louis crinkled his brow. “Huh?”

“The Liam and Niall velociraptor plan,” Harry continued. “Zayn. I didn’t say anything. I, er, didn’t think there would be much point.”

If Louis thought sitting at headquarters not being able to change anything was bad enough, he’d hate to think how Zayn would feel sitting on the other side of the world. “No,” he agreed. “No, makes sense. He’d go off.” He sent a meaningful look Harry’s way. “Because he has half a brain.”

It shocked a laugh from Harry. “He does.” Louis felt a little better for it.

The rooftop door creaked open and the two of the craned their necks to see Niamh eyeing them from the doorway. Her hair was sticking up in various places, as if she’d been running her fingers through it repeatedly. “They’re about to head out. We’ve got a live feed, if you want to watch,” she said, pointing carelessly behind her. “Just, down -” she trailed off with a weak smile. “If you want.”

“Do you want to?” Harry asked. 

Louis shrugged, at a loss. “I don’t know. Would it be better, or worse?”

“I don’t know if it would be  _ better  _ to watch, but I think I’d rather know than leave it to my imagination.”

It sounded like a question. Not one that Louis had the answer to. “Yeah, ‘spose.” He clapped Harry’s thigh, rising to his feet. “Let’s do this, then.”

~

The ‘raptor cage had never been so quiet. The floodlights surrounding the cage were bursting light down on them. They cast shadows across Peter’s face as he walked over towards Liam and Niall’s car.

“Come on, boys,” he said, clapping the side of their jeep. His voice and the way that he walked was infused with false bravado and faked calm. Liam sneered, turning away so Peter wouldn’t see his face. “We’ve got work to do.”

The briefing was over quickly. Liam had been hoping for Peter to come out with something a little more detailed than he had in headquarters. Instead, he recited the same basic idea, and Liam’s heart sank. 

There were three other guys in the tent with them and between the group they managed to hash out something that Liam thought might actually work. One misguided glance at Niall, however, cut down his hopes in one fell swoop. Niall didn’t look happy at all. The other guys, Liam didn’t feel the need to learn their names, carried rafts of intimidating weapons. As he watched them load their guns, decked out in heavy protective suits, he panicked. Did they know something he didn’t? Why the hell didn’t he have a suit on? Where was his gun? He baulked when, a second after he thought it, one of men came over to him and handed him a rifle. 

He and Niall received a quick lesson in how to shoot, and that was it. They were ready to go. 

“You two concentrate on the ‘raptors,” Peter said, with a loud laugh. “We’ll take down the big guy.”

Liam felt wholly and completely out of his depth. 

“Niall. What you said earlier, about this plan,” he started as the two of them walked over to the waiting motorcycles. “Is it - What are the chances of it working?”

Niall huffed, his hands on his waist as he glowered at the cage behind them. “I don’t - maybe it could work. I mean, in principle. Just -” He sighed, looking at Liam once more. There was dirt in his hair, making him seem duller than usual. “There’s a lot of things that could go wrong. Even if it does work out, I don’t know how we’re going to get the ‘raptors back in their enclosure. It’s all they know. There’s no telling how they’ll react once they’re outside.” He waved a hand at the forest around them. The wet vegetation swayed gently in the breeze. “Really, we should be doing incremental tests. But, time, you know.” Niall shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “We’re just going from zero to sixty. Could be messy.”

“So, what you’re saying is,” Liam said, mounting his bike with ease, “It’s pretty unlikely that this’ll go according to plan?”

“Pretty unlikely, yeah,” Niall nodded, fiddling with the strap of his gun. He pulled a face, squinting up at Liam after a short pause. “You can back out, buddy,” he said, quietly. “You don’t have to be here, not for me.”

Liam scoffed. “Right.” The idea of him leaving Niall with the rest of these guys was laughable. He might as well shove Niall in with the ‘raptors now, and be done with it.

“Seriously, you could go back to Harry and Louis. No shame in it.”

“You know I can’t do that.” Liam stared at Niall, trying to convey just how serious he was. 

“Boys!” Peter shouted for a few metres away. He had mounted his own bike, his eyes wide. He looked a little hysterical. “Are we nearly ready?”

Niall sighed and swung his leg over the bike, sliding behind Liam. “And you know that if something happens to you and it’s only because you felt obliged - that it’s because of me - You know I ain’t gonna be okay with that.” Liam didn’t need to see Niall’s face to know the expression he’d find there. The quiet timbre to his voice was enough. “And Louis would kill me.”

“I’m not -” Liam cut himself off. He couldn’t bring himself to lie. “We have to do something. I want to help.” He worried his bottom lip. “Louis wouldn’t kill you.”

Behind him, he felt Niall’s body shake with light laughter. “He bloody would.” A strong pair of arms wrapped around Liam’s waist, Niall’s chin coming up to rest gently on his shoulder. “For the record,” Niall spoke, an undercurrent of his usual excitement coming through. “I’m glad you two sorted it out. You’ll be great together.”

Liam nodded, trying to keep down a grin. He felt like it would probably be inappropriate, considering how scared he was that he was about to die. 

“All right.” Niall cleared his throat, leaning back once more. “Keep your eyes open. Do as I tell you, okay? No funny business.”

The low growl of one of the velociraptors rang over Liam’s shoulder and he turned his head, gripping his handlebars a little tighter than necessary. The short, sharp breath of the animals was visible in the cold evening air and it felt to Liam like it had all suddenly become a lot more real. One of the other men was moving between the cages, raising something to the bars. It took Liam a few seconds to realise that it was the indominus tooth Niall had brought back, flesh still dangling off the base where it had been pulled from the creature’s jaw. They were locking the ‘raptors onto her scent.

“All right,” Peter called up ahead. “Moving out!”

They moved off, the familiar thrum of the motorbike almost calmed Liam. He could hold onto that, it was something he knew. To his right, set ahead of the group, Peter lead the way, cutting a path between the trees. They formed an arrow formation, two guys on the right wing, Liam and Niall on the left, with another guy next to them. 

Liam kept himself low, avoiding the branches whipping towards them as they travelled. 

It was with a nervous pang in his chest that he noted the clanging of metal gates behind them. The heavy fall of lightning fast tracks approached, and the horrid, screeching call of the velociraptors sounded, as if they were right next to them. 

He stiffened, could feel Niall doing the same, as the stomping footfall passed by. The ‘raptors would surely go for them. They were easy targets, a quick meal. He braced himself for the clasp of jaws. But the sound passed. Opening eyes that he hadn’t realised he’d shut, he gaped. Ahead of them, the tails of four huge velociraptors cut through the trees, until they had almost vanished in the distance. 

“Don’t let them out of sight!” Niall yelled over the wind. He clapped Liam’s arm as Liam accelerated, his eyes focused on the tail of the nearest ‘raptor. This was insane, he thought. This was insane, and it was working. A disbelieving huff escaped his throat as Niall cackled behind him. 

The ‘raptors were out. No going back. 

The long grass whipped around the bike, catching Liam on the arm. Ahead of him, the dim forest was lit up by the multiple beams of their bike headlights, cutting through the thick fog in like strobelights. He could see the blinking red lights from the cameras they’d attached to the ‘raptors in the distance. The animals were far enough away that Liam could only make out there tails, confusing them every now and then with the branches hanging down from the trees. Their heavy feet kicked up dirt as they went and it sprayed into Liam’s face. He flinched, shaking his head to flick the worst of it away. As he was distracted, he felt Niall tap his arm lightly. 

“They’re slowing down,” Niall whispered, nodding ahead. 

Liam dropped his eyes to his speedometer, noting that the pack was indeed coming to a slow stop. His heart jerked in his chest. This is what they had wanted, sure, but Liam certainly hadn’t been looking forward to it.

“They’ve got something,” Niall continued. Liam was perturbed to feel the slight shaking of Niall’s arm as he reached out over Liam’s shoulder to point at the animals gathered ahead of them. 

The four ‘raptors were lined up ahead of the bank of trees. They were restless, their heads focused on the trees, though their bodies shifted and swayed. One of them, Liam thought it was Blue, took a step forward. She lowered her head to the ground, seemingly searching for the trail once more. 

Liam was uneasy. He felt the cool air hit his back straight away as Niall slid out from behind him. 

The other men were dismounting, edging closer to the pack with their eyes trained on the forest beyond. Liam could only wonder what everyone back at headquarters must be thinking, watching the scene through the velociraptors’ cameras. He bit his lip, working hard to climb off his bike as quietly as possible, and joined the crew where they were all crouched behind a fallen tree. 

The bark under his skin was damp. As he grimaced, the four dinosaurs in front raised their heads. The sound of several guns behind raised filled Liam’s ears. The tracking beams of the rifles were like lasers in the sky and Liam chanced a look at Niall, who was staring intently into the fog. 

Heavy, thudding footsteps could be heard. Liam could almost smell the petrol from the last time he’d encountered the creature. He’d only just escaped with his life, what the hell were they doing back here? Before he could scare himself any further, the ‘raptors ducked their heads once more, calling quietly. The indominus emerged from the fog. She looked even more intimidating in the dusk, her jagged teeth sticking out of her jaw at odd angles. One of the men beside him let out a short, sharp breath and Liam wondered if they’d been fully warned about the creature they were hunting. He felt Niall shift at his elbow, pushing forward to watch as the indominus lowered its head, much like the ‘raptors had done. She let out a caw, higher in pitch than anything Liam had heard from her before and he frowned. It sounded so much more like the velociraptors than he’d previously realised. Her head was low enough now that her eyes were almost level with the ‘raptors. She cawed again, the smaller dinosaurs becoming more excited, their movements jerky. 

Liam swallowed, trying to regulate his breathing. They were so close. If the indominus realised where they were hiding, they’d be dead in seconds. 

“Something’s wrong,” Niall breathed, and Liam resisted the urge to tell hims to  _ be quiet _ . “They’re communicating.”

“What?” Liam hissed, the terror that he’d been numbed to before seeped back into his veins. 

The returning calls of the velociraptors became louder. Liam stared, tightening his grip on his gun. Niall was right. They were talking to each other. 

“I know why they wouldn’t tell us what it was made of,” Niall said, eyes trained on the scene ahead. “That thing’s part ‘raptor”. 

The second after Niall went quiet, the four ‘raptors turned, their necks arching low. Liam could feel their bright, gleaming eyes focused on the group of them. 

“Shoot!” someone shouted and they sky lit up with the flashes of bullets. The sound ricocheted inside Liam’s skull and he clung to the log, crouching at Niall’s side. The indominus barely even seemed to notice the gunfire raining down on her. The bone shaking noise burst from the forest beyond and Liam’s heart leapt into his mouth. Niall dragged him down to the ground as the world around them shook with the force of the explosion. 

Dirt dragging under his palms, he pushed himself up, frantically searching to get a lock on the dinosaurs surrounding them, surely keyed up for a hunt. 

Peter grunted, wiping blood from his brow. “Those ‘raptors got a new alpha, boys. Stay alert.”

Thankfully, the indominus seemed to have vanished. All they had to worry about now were the four deadly predators circling around them, Liam thought hysterically. His bike wasn’t too far away, if he and Niall could get to it, they’d have a chance of escaping. He pushed down the part of him that felt responsible for the rest of the crew. It wasn’t his fault they were there and he damn well wasn’t going to get himself killed for them.

“Niall,” he hissed, cocking his head towards the bikes. Niall locked his jaw, nodding tersely. They crouched, stumbling in their haste, branches crunching beneath their boots. As one of the other guys ran passed them a ‘raptor - was it Delta? - leapt onto his back. He was dragged into the long grass and Liam winced when his panicked screaming cut off abruptly, grass jerking. He jumped when Niall grabbed his arm, pulling him away. 

The other men were yelling as well, though Liam couldn’t see them in the now heavy darkness. Streams of light burst forward every couple of seconds as people shot blindly. He and Niall stopped short when one of the remaining shooters pushed in between them, shoving Liam to the side. Liam was about to shout something unsavoury at him, when, in a flash of movement, he was pulled off the path. There was a glimpse of claws and bright eyes and then, nothing. 

“Shit,” Liam cursed. 

Niall turned to him, his face pale. Liam didn’t dare move, didn’t dare crawl across the path to Niall. “We’re surrounded,” Niall mouthed at him. 

As Liam tried to calm his heart rate and think of his next move, one of the ‘raptors leapt from the long grass behind him, over his head. Liam flinched. He felt the displaced air across his face as the creature moved, eyeing up Niall like prey. 

Without thinking, he lifted his rifle up, pressing his eye to the viewfinder. His hands were shaking and he couldn’t see properly, but it hardly mattered. The dinosaur was so close he would be impossible to miss. Through the viewfinder he could see Niall’s wide eyes, doused in green. Before Liam could pull the trigger, Niall ran. 

It was an idiot move, Liam knew. He was sure Niall knew as well, but in the panic, he couldn’t blame him. After watching in terror for a second or two as the velociraptor chased behind Niall, towering several feet over his head, Liam sprang to action. 

He sprinted to his bike, now clear of any imminent attack. Niall had clambered inside a hollow log, and Liam could see he was firing blindly as the velociraptor clawed it’s way through to him. “Hey, Blue!” he shouted. In the recesses of his mind, he was impressed with how level his words were, considering how it took all the determination he had to find his voice. The dinosaur raised it’s head, her beady, bright eyes set on him. 

She blinked. 

Liam revved the engine and whistled. His heart hammered against his rib cage as he set off, Blue in close pursuit. He didn’t have a plan. He had no clue how to get rid of the giant beast hot on his tail. 

A burst of colour and noise sounded to his left, and he jerked his head just in time to see Peter. Gun in hand, the other man was opening fire on Blue, shouting at the top of his lungs. At once, she became distracted, rounding on Peter as he continued to shoot. 

Wasting no time at all, Liam circled back to Niall. He found him scrambling out of the log, pulling twigs out of his clothes and breathing heavily. The look on Niall’s face when he saw Liam had returned broke Liam’s heart just a little. As if Liam would leave him out there to die. They drove away and Liam pushed down a sob. They were okay, they were going to make it back. He looked over his shoulder, relieved to see they were alone. No velociraptors. No people either. He hadn’t even seen what happened to Peter. 

It had been a stupid idea, just as stupid as Louis had said. As Liam rounded a corner, feeling Niall tighten his grip at his sides, he knew he wouldn’t have a single problem hearing Louis say, ‘I told you so.’

~

It was dark in earnest by the time they returned, the twinkling lights of Main Street keeping the crowds comforted. Liam ducked his head, ignoring everybody around him. It was all he could do not to run, hell for leather, back to headquarters. He needed to see Louis, he could feel it aching in his bones. 

He slammed doors open as he stormed through the corridors. The sound of his boots squeaking against the floor grated his ears. He was aware of Niall jogging behind him, trying to catch up, apparently apologising to those people Liam was barging past.

Eventually, finally, they made it back to headquarters, to the main control room. When he burst through the double doors, every head in the room turned to stare. Liam ignored them, desperately searching the dimly lit room for 

“Li!” He heard the shout from across the floor and zoned in to the sound. 

When he finally saw Louis running towards him, he couldn’t help the wet grin that snuck across his face. Harry was coming up behind him, the two wearing matching anxious expressions. As they met in the middle, Liam welcomed Louis with open arms. In turned, Louis lept forward, half winding him with the force of their bodies colliding. Louis’ arms reached around his neck, his face digging into Liam’s collarbone. He didn’t wait. He couldn’t wait a moment longer. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to Louis’. He could feel the force of Louis against him, the tightening of his grip in Liam’s jacket, the small sounds that escaped him. Liam opened his mouth, letting his tongue slide against Louis lips. 

Louis let him in, the wet heat of his mouth all that Liam could think about. The scruff on Louis’ chin was rough on Liam’s skin, grounding him in the moment. 

It was good, it was just as good as Liam remembered. Better, even. Louis wanted it, Liam knew, could feel it in his desperate movements. Like he never wanted to let Liam go. 

Under his hands, Louis’ muscles flexed, pushing closer and closer to Liam until there wasn’t a part of them not touching. 

“I love you. Fuck, I love you,” Liam mumbled against Louis’ lips. 

Louis pulled away and his hands, hidden under long sleeves, clasped the sides of Liam’s face. “Liam,” he whined. His eyes travelled across Liam’s face. Liam watched as his gaze lingered on his bruised eye, cut lip and bloodied chin. 

“I’m okay,” he hurried. He worked hard to keep his voice steady even as he felt Louis close his fingers around Liam’s shaking hand. “I’m okay, I’m fine.”

“No, you’re an idiot.” He winced as Louis hit his chest. “Sorry,” Louis said, and his brow crumpled. He leant forward until his head rested against Liam’s neck. “You’re an  _ idiot. _ ” Liam could feel his hot breath on his skin. 

“Yeah. I’m an idiot.” He pressed his lips to the top of Louis’ head, his soft hair brushing against his face. “I won’t leave you again.”

They held each other close, chests rising and falling in sync. Liam curled his fingers in Louis’ hair and shut his eyes, blocking out the blood and teeth and pain of outside. He’d keep Louis safe, no matter what.

 


	7. Chapter 7

_ “If you gamble long enough, you’ll always lose. _

_ The gambler is always ruined.” _

**Creation Laboratory, Jurassic World, Isla Nublar**

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is a stupid plan.”

“It is,” Niall agreed. “You should go wait it out with the rest of the visitors.”

Louis glared. People around them were gathering up their equipment and personal belongings, and shoving them into bags and boxes. It was sensible, Louis supposed, for the staff to prepare. He couldn’t help but feel it was cheating a little, given that there were thousands of people outside that didn’t have a clue how much trouble the island was in.

They had camped out on the floor of one of the labs. Its calm, white walls gave off the pretence that everything was fine. Louis couldn’t imagine any dinosaurs getting in here and wreaking havoc. There was too much technology.

He stage whispered, his head turned to Harry, though his eyes remained fixed on Niall, “Harry, is it me, or are you getting this immense feeling of deja vu?”

After Niall snorted at him, he shared a look with Harry who clasped his chest, eyes narrowed in mock-thought. “Now you mention it, I am coming over all familiar,” he drawled, and Louis smirked.

“It makes sense,” Niall insisted. Louis’ eyes flickered up to the mud caked in his hair. He didn’t seem to notice and carried on explaining to the rest of them, “You don’t know anything about fighting dinosaurs.”

The lab door slammed open and a harassed looking technician barged past them. She began to pull boxes out the cupboards at random until finding what she was after. She left just as quickly as she had arrived, not sparing the four grown men curled up on the floor a second glance.

Louis pursed his lips before asking, “And what, pray tell, do you know about fighting dinosaurs? Why would you be any more equipped than I?”

“I don’t know,” Niall sighed, after a moment’s thought. He looked tired.

“Well, then.” Louis raised his eyebrows, making his point. “’Sides,” he said, pulling his borrowed jacket tighter around himself. “We’re not fighting anything. Niamh specifically mentioned not fighting anything.”

Liam pulled a face and gently shoved Louis with his shoulder. “It would be safer with the crowd,” he admitted, looking reluctant to say so.

“It’ll be safer with you.”

The look Liam sent his way was a strange mix; Louis didn’t know quite how to take it. He was saved from a response by Harry, however, who cooed, “Aw, mate. I knew you two would be cute. I knew it.”

Niall cackled, continuing to stare at him and Liam. Louis bit his lip and wondered what Niall had to laugh about. He’d almost died, for a second time. Peter _ had _ died.

It was half an hour before they heard anything else. Headquarters was all but deserted, the labs cool and quiet in the artificial light. They had all settled into a companionable silence when the sharp clack of stilettos on the floor echoed along the corridor beside them. Behind the glass wall, Niamh appeared, hurtling down the hall. Her shirt had come untucked and her mascara was smudged along her left eye. She almost ran right past them, stopping at the last second and scrambling back towards the door. She looked frantic and Louis’ chest tightened.

“He’s dead,” she announced, before the door had even fully opened. “The pilot. He crashed into the Aviary.”

Louis ground his teeth. He knew this would happen. Sure, it had sounded simple, one of the pilots taking a weaponised helicopter into the sky to blast the indominus to kingdom come, before it got any closer to the main resort. Of course something had gone wrong. That dinosaur wasn’t going down without a fight.

“Fuck. Fuck,” Niall yelled. Louis jumped as he kicked the wall, hard. “And the indominus?”

Niamh shook her head. “No, Niall,” she replied, her tone tight. “The pilot crashed  _ into  _ the Aviary. The pteranodons.”

The change in Niall’s expression was instant. Louis stepped forward. “What - What about them?”

Before anyone could answer, a calm female voice came over the speakers.  _ “Ladies and gentlemen, due to a containment anomaly, all guests must take shelter immediately. Ladies and gentlemen, due to a containment anomaly, all guests must take shelter immediately.” _

They all stood, wide eyes focused on Niamh. “They’re out,” she gasped. “They’re - They’re headed this way. The noise of the crowd.”

“Shit,” Liam cursed, running a hand along his jaw.

Niamh seemed to shrink, her shoulders dropping as she cried, “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Harry stepped forward, his fingers clasped together where he held them in front of himself. His knuckles were white. “But, the people,” he said, weakly. “The visitors, they’ll - There’s nowhere for them to go.” His eyes flicked between the other four, pleading. “We have to help them.”

“Harry -” Liam started.

“No. We have to help them,” he repeated, his bruised jaw setting as he looked Liam up and down.

With a queasy stomach, Louis met Liam’s gaze. The other man had paled, undoubtedly horrified that even more people were going to get hurt. That they were going to have to go out there again. Louis couldn’t see how they could stay, not when there were people out there who didn’t have a clue what was happening. There were kids out there, they  _ had _ to go. He sent a minute nod Liam’s way.

Liam bit his lips and stared at the floor for a moment, steeling himself. “Okay,” he croaked. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Niamh called after them. She opened one of the lab closets and began rifling through the clothes inside.

“Niamh,” Niall asked, confused. “What are you doing?”

She looked over her shoulder at them. The expression on her face was one of fierce determination. It was just then that Louis really noticed how her eyes were the same shape and shade as Niall’s. “If we’re going to help people,” she said. “I’ll need some proper shoes.”

~

The screaming began long before they reached Main Street. When the first yell pierced through the air around them, they slowed, listening carefully. In a rush, a cacophony of noise followed. Screams, cries, the sound of crashing. The ground rumbled where they stood and the distant thrum of a crowd on the move echoed ahead of them in the dark.

They sprinted the rest of the way.

It was like walking into a war zone. Louis was struck dumb, the wash of carnage pouring over him like a physical barrier. The jet black of the night stretched above the heads of the throng of panicking people. Visitors in brightly coloured clothes ran for their lives as, from the blanket of darkness above, winged creatures appeared without warning. When one of the dinosaurs swooped down, it would tighten its claws around one of the smaller members of the crowd and lift them away, disappearing into the dark once more.

The ground was still wet from the morning’s rain. Pteranodons hounded those who had fallen. Blood ran down the side of the street, pooling in the gutters. Next to him, over the sound of glass shattering in a nearby window, he heard Harry retch. People were heading in all directions, with no clear path to safety. Some of the larger creatures had blocked off entire avenues, snapping their beaks at anyone who dared step closer.

Memory was a fickle thing and Louis felt in that second, watching those people scream and the children cry, that the pteranodons were worse than the indominus. At least you knew which way to run from her. These winged creatures were picking them off like they were standing in line.

A few metres in front of them, one of the merchandise stalls had been knocked over. A container of the novelty cups Louis had bought yesterday was spilled across the path, tyrannosaurus heads jumbled with triceratops and a bunch of other dinosaurs Louis couldn’t identify. Weak helium balloons floated down wind, casting faint shadows on the ground. It was eerie, how lightly they drifted amongst the chaos. Even as he watched a portly man ran across the mess in the street. A bright green plastic stegosaurus cracked under the man’s unlaced trainers, he slipped and skidded across the wet floor. Before the man could make it to his feet one of the pteranodons was upon him. The screams and yells soared above the rest of the noise for a few short seconds until they stopped. The man was laid pliant on the ground, the dinosaur above him still, pecking away.

Louis gaped. It was a slaughter.

“Liam,” he whimpered, staring ahead. There was too much to see, too much to be able to focus on one thing. There was too much for them to help at all. “Liam, what do we - What -”

Liam steadied himself, shivering visibly in the light wind. The whites of his eyes were a lone glimmer in the dark. “Get people to shelter,” he rasped. “That’s got to be our priority. Get people inside.” Just as Louis was about to set off, Liam grabbed his arm. He was close enough that Louis could see the shadow of his stubble. “And stay close, for fuck’s sake.”

The first one of them to really make any progress fending off the creatures was Niamh. While the rest of them jumped back and forth, trying to get closer without having their arms ripped off, she grabbed one of the abandoned restaurant parasols. Louis watched aghast as a young girl, she couldn’t be more than ten, let out a piercing scream. The girl stood, motionless in the middle of the street, eyes wide and focused on the monstrous beast swooping towards her. Niamh reacted in an instant and the four men simply watched. The thud of the metal colliding with the dinosaur was quieter than Louis had expected. The clang when Niamh dropped it to the ground was jarring, however.

Almost as if in slow motion, Louis saw it play out before his eyes; Niamh taking great heaving breaths, the little girl staring open mouthed, the whirl of Niamh’s short hair in the storm of the pteranodon’s wings. The blood that began to seep from Niamh’s skin the second the dinosaur got its claws into her.

She lifted from the ground, close enough that they could see the terrified expression painting her face, far enough away that none of them could reach her.

“Niamh!” Niall yelled, taking off after her.

“Oh, Christ,” Harry gasped as he dragged Liam and Louis along with him. Louis kept his eyes on the sky above as much as he could, though he couldn’t make out much in the dark. He spotted her high above their heads, her legs kicking still.

Harry threw a stone with a loud grunt. It hardly even cleared the buildings before gravity brought it back down to the ground. With a sinking feeling, Louis knew that she was already dead. Even if her heart was still beating, there was no way she could get back. His gaze was fixed above him so he didn’t realise they’d reached the end of the road until he slammed into the fence. Harry and Liam did the same either side of him, muffled groans escaping their lips. Niall didn’t seem to notice, he simply continuing to shout up at the shrinking figure of his aunt, banging his fist against the railings.

It wasn’t until he heard the splash of water that it dawned on Louis they were by the lake. A sharp intake of breath to his left and Louis turned to see a woman crouched behind a bench, arms wrapped around two small kids. Their eyes met briefly, before Niall’s hoarse voice travelled through the night air.

“They dropped her,” he said. “We can bring her in. Get the life belt.”

Even as Liam ran to do what Niall asked it was too late. The underwater lights that illuminated the turquoise depths flickered as a large shadow passed over them.

The mosasaurus looked gargantuan closer up, Louis thought numbly. When the creature broke the surface they all jumped back from the barrier instinctively. Niall’s scream was painful, breaking over the sound of the dinosaur’s jaw crunching together and diving back down into the water. Niamh’s body was gone, with no trace of her left on the lake’s surface at all. “Niamh!” Niall yelled. “Niamh. Oh, Christ, Auntie Niamh.” He pushed forward, trying to get closer to the barrier once more. “Oh, Christ -”

Liam wrapped his arm around Niall’s chest, pulling him back. The sinews in his forearm flexed from the effort, though it didn’t seem to have any effect on Niall at all. “Niall,” Liam panted. “Mate, come on. Don’t - You’ve got to stay away -”

Harry’s fingers curled around the back of Niall’s neck as he ducked his head, looking his friend in the eye. “You can’t help her,” he said, voice steady. “Shit, Ni, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

Louis opened his mouth, unsure of what he was about to say, when something moved in the corner of his eye. His first thought was another dinosaur, but he saw that it was one of the kids hiding behind the bench, trying to edge closer to the lake. “Get away from the edge!” he shouted, his voice catching. He stepped closer, speaking directly to the woman crouched below. “Get inside.”

“I was - I -” Her voice trembled as she raised herself to standing, a good five inches above Louis, and took the kids’ hands. “Yeah -” she mumbled finally. He spared a glance over his shoulder to make sure that Harry and Liam were okay with Niall before pressing his hand against the woman’s shoulder and guiding them over the path, into an empty shop. The glass front was shattered, but otherwise it was completely deserted. “Are you all right?” the woman asked once they were inside.

Louis huffed out a short laugh. It sounded harsh in the quiet store. “Are  _ you  _ all right?”

“My partner -” She cut herself off, shaking her head. Louis got the message.

“Are they yours?” he asked quietly, kneeling down when the woman gave a small nod. He sent the two children a weak smile. “Mum’s done really well,” he said, his voice no more than a whisper. The child on the left nodded, their bright blue glasses sliding down their nose. He felt a bit stupid, not knowing what to say next. He needed to get back to Niall. “I have to go help my friend,” he settled on.

A s he turned away a small, strained voice called out, “Look out for the pteranodons and dimorphodons”

“The what?” he replied, at a loss.

“T he dimorphodons,” t he kid with the glasses repeated. “The little ones.”

Louis nodded, distractedly, and clambe red through the broken glass.

The kid was right, it turned out. Those dimorphodons were vicious little buggers. Across the path Niall was no longer trying to break away from Harry and Liam, but was instead attempting to fend off one of the smaller winged dinosaurs. He was flat on his back, the muscles in his arms straining to keep the snapping beak away from his face. His cheeks were red with effort, teeth gritted. Louis gasped and rushed forward, dodging around the area where Liam was fending off one of the larger pteranodons with an open umbrella, jabbing it forward every few seconds with a roar.

Louis reached Harry’s side where the other man was trying his best to kick the creature off Niall’s chest. Niall swore loudly as the animal’s beak sliced across his torso. Louis could see where his shirt became tainted red from blood, and he and Harry worked double time shoving the creature away. Eventually Harry landed a solid blow with his boot to the side of the dinosaur’s skull. It squawked loudly, flapping its wings and rising into the air.  The larger pteranodon followed behind and Louis felt a brief wash of empathy for the dimorphodon, suddenly becoming the prey.

It didn’t last long as Nia ll groaned on the cold floor below. “I leave you alone for a minute,” Louis said, trying to inject some humour into his voice. He thought it had worked when Niall laughed, though his crumpled face immediately morphed into something altogether more painful. “Come on,” Louis mumbled, pulling Niall up and cocking his head at the others. “We need to get inside.”

They ended up seeking shelter insid e the IMAX theatre on the waterfront, alongside a large group of others. Around them people were chewing on  popcorn and pick ‘n’ mix with glazed over expressions. The occasional pained moan could be heard from the corners, tired looking people were running back and forth with damp clothes, or bottles of water.

“Is there a first aid kit?” Louis asked out loud, to no one in particular. He was surprised when a soft voice responded.

“Take one,” it said. Louis spun his head around to see a young man. He was tall, though some baby fat still lingered around his face. His black hair was caught in knots, dark eyes lined with exhaustion. “We got a load from the hut.” The guy shrugged, his hands deep in his jeans pockets.

It hit Louis then, how horrendous the situation was. Every single person on this island had gone through their own personal hell. Christ, there could even be people in the forest still, who ignored the warnings just like he had. Niamh had been killed in the most gruesome way and Louis wondered just how many other people had had to watch their loved ones be killed in the past few hours.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, taking a kit from the small pile. “You two okay?” He eyed up Harry and Liam where they had slumped down either side of Niall. Harry gave a small nod. Liam didn’t move. A quick look up and down his body satisfied Louis that he was serviceable, not on the brink of collapse. Just tired. He squeezed Liam’s calf on his way to pulling Niall’s collar down. “Now,” he muttered, staring at the gash along Niall’s collarbone with narrowed eyes. “I’m not a doctor, but it doesn’t look great.”

Harry leaned over and scrutinised the wound with a down turned mouth. “It’s not bleeding that much,” he said, voice light as he laid back against the wall. “Don’t think it’s that deep.”

“All right,” Louis drew out the words. He wasn’t sure if Harry believed the words coming out of his own mouth, or if he was just trying to keep their spirits up. It didn’t matter either way, Louis supposed, so he leaned forward and stuck down the ‘adhesive wound pad’ over the mess.

It seemed to bring Niall back around to the here and now, which Louis counted as a success. “Thanks, man,” he said, shifting to lean further up the wall.

Louis grimaced. “Don’t mention it.”

They remained on the floor for a long while, each one of them exhausted in every way. After watching the surrounding groups of people settle down around him, an idea struck. Louis crawled over to the abandoned merchandise stand near a massive cardboard cutout of two ankylosauruses and grabbed one of the rucksacks. It had the Jurassic World logo plastered on the front. He stuffed the first aid kit inside and headed towards the fridge where the bottled water was kept. If he couldn’t stop the dinosaurs from attacking them full stop, at least he could make sure they were as prepared as possible the next time around.

~

Liam blinked, watching Louis clamber across the sticky foyer floor. He wondered what the other man was up to, but couldn’t seem to summon the energy to ask. Around them people were dozing, tending to others, or, for an unnerving amount of people, staring blankly into space. Liam glanced down at his watch and saw that it was almost midnight. Beside him Harry and Niall had fallen asleep against each other, Niall’s regular breathing blowing Harry’s hair across his cheek.

He felt eyes on him and startled to see a group of teenagers across the way staring at him. They had strange expressions on their faces, somewhere between pity and fear. Looking down at himself, Liam realised he must look exactly like he felt. He was a mess. His trousers were still caked in mud from the river and forest. He had splashes of Niall’s blood across his face and his shirt was saturated with mud and sweat. He couldn’t imagine what he smelt like. It was a miracle that Harry and Louis could stand to be near him, given the new kit they’d been given. Taking in Harry’s grubby hands and ripped trousers, he figured they weren’t that fresh any more, either.

It occurred to him, then, that these people shouldn’t be there. Niamh had mentioned a ferry out in the morning, hadn’t she? These people should be at the dock, waiting for their first chance to get away.

“Lou,” he whispered, eyes on Louis’ still crouched form. “Babe.” He blushed at his own words. The group of them called each other babe every now and again, it wasn’t anything shocking in and of itself. Liam was all too aware, however, of the new connotations it had with Louis.

It wasn’t lost on Louis, who responded with a smirk as he walked over. “Babe.”

“Er,” Liam laughed, wrong footed.

Louis smiled and Liam cursed that damned dinosaur for escaping and stopping him from seeing that smile all day long. Louis proceeded to press a light kiss to the corner of Liam’s mouth. “What is it?”

“Er,” Liam stuttered. “I was - I was thinking that we should get everyone to Ferry Landing, right? So they’re ready for when rescue comes?”

“That,” Louis said with relish, “sounds like the first sensible thing anybody’s said all day.”

It had quietened down outside, the silence almost as horrid as the screaming of before. Liam didn’t think he’d ever seen the resort so empty. That was, of course, before he took into account the bodies. It appeared that the pteranodons had eyes bigger than their stomachs. A number of their victims had been dropped haphazardly onto the ground, their arms and legs sticking out at odd angles. Their eyes unfocused. Unseeing. Liam looked twice at one lump on the ground, more solid than any of the others. With a strange feeling, he realised it was one of Niall’s baby triceratops. It looked like Harry, maybe.

“Is that one of us?” Harry asked, coming to stand at Liam’s shoulder. His skin was paler than it had been before. Liam noted that his eyes were carefully focused on the triceratop and nowhere else.

“Oh, er, yeah.” He scratched his neck. “Think we probably shouldn’t mention it to Niall.”

“No,” Harry agreed.

Liam cleared his throat and made vague circling motions with his arms. “I was thinking, before we move people out, we should clear ...  _ away _ .”

Harry shifted his gaze away from the baby dinosaur, up to the mountains, the black silhouette of which could be made out against the dark sky. The mist had rolled back across the mountaintop at some point in the night. Instead of making the island look mysterious and exciting like it usually did, it caused a shiver to run down Liam’s spine. Somewhere out there the indominus was waiting.

It took them the better part of an hour to drive everyone down to the ferry dock, flags of welcome still swaying stubbornly in the breeze. Liam was amazed that the Jeep hadn’t been intercepted by anything unfriendly, though he didn’t mention it, afraid of jinxing the final few trips. Hundreds of other people were already gathered there. Liam didn’t know where the thousands of other guests had ended up, but at least they’d done as much as they could.

“Is that everyone?” Liam announced, finally, clapping his hands together. “No stragglers?” He surveyed the cinema foyer, wanting to be certain nobody got left behind.

“Nobody here but us chickens,” Louis called out from his position sat on the concessions desk. He had a cardboard container of nachos resting on his lap and appeared to be concentrating carefully on collecting sufficient cheese on one particular nacho. Liam’s stomach rumbled.

Harry folded his arms, leaning against one of the interactive boards they had stationed throughout the building. “Who you calling chicken, punk?” he said, sticking his chin up and failing to hide a smile.

Louis took the bait immediately. “Who you calling punk, jerk?” he shot back, legs swinging back and forth.

Walking over to Louis, Liam snatched a handful of nachos. “Children,” he warned, stuffing his mouth.

Niall sniggered. “Right. I’m just going to stop by the loo, then we can head off, yeah?”

“Awesome,” Harry replied. Some of the colour was starting to come back to his cheeks.

In the years following their time on the island, Liam wondered if somehow the velociraptors had some kind of personal grudge against them. Maybe they recognised Niall as one of their captors. It probably wasn’t anything of the sort, he often concluded, when considering the idea logically. They just happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time an awful lot. It just felt personal, at the time.

“Run!” Niall came pelting around the corridor minutes later, his uniform jacket billowing behind him. “Bloody dinosaurs,” he spat, hysterically.

It was almost comical, the look on Niall’s face. There was nothing amusing about the snarl that followed his desperate yells, however. Two ‘raptors prowled towards them, their steps slow and deliberate. They looked even larger inside, it was chilling. They had a few scrapes across their flesh and were breathing heavily, like the freedom was doing them some good.

Nachos went flying as Louis jumped from his perch, hurtling after Niall without finesse, Harry hot on their heels.

“Liam, come  _ on _ .” It wasn’t until Louis screamed those words at him from the entrance to the restaurant that Liam realised the predicament he was in. He was horrified to find that he’d somehow managed to end up with the two dinosaurs separating him from the other three.

Harry, Niall and Louis stared at him in horror as he tried to assess the situation. There was nothing he could use around him. He worried his lips, eyes flicking up to where one of the ‘raptors h ad their head ducked, about to pounce. It was by chance that, in that instant, the motion poster sprang to life next to him. The high definition video of a dilophosaurus opening the colourful frills by its neck and hissing at the two velociraptors had them jumping back.  They snarled at the believed new threat, lips drawn back to reveal every one of their fang like teeth.

Liam knew it was now or never. He darted behind the motion  poster  stand and sprinted to where the others were egging him on.

He didn’t register the pain straight away. He honestly thought he’d made it, thought he’d got off scot free. It was only when he had to tug his arm away that he realised one of the ‘raptors had caught him. The pain came then. His forearm throbbed where the dinosaur’s claw had pierced the skin, a long strip of flesh torn away from the bone. He was already at the door, though, he couldn’t give up now. He dived head first into the others’ outstretched arms, heard the door slam behind him and the loud grunts of exertion of keeping it closed as someone dragged a chair across the floor to press under the handle.

It wouldn’t last forever, but it would give them some time.

“Did it get you? Are you hurt?” Louis panted as they ran down corridors, turning corners seemingly at random.

Liam turned his body to hide his arm from Louis without knowing quite why. “A little, nothing serious.”

They stumbled as a group into a vast kitchen area, industrial in scale. Niall shoved the door closed behind them and they hurried to the back of the room. Harry turned off the lights and they crouched in the corner, waiting. The metal of the kitchen cupboards was cool against Liam’s back. If he hadn’t been sure he was about to die, he would have enjoyed the sensation. His arm was shaking where he held it against his chest. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the wound, but he knew it was pretty bad. He could feel blood seeping against his shirt. 

He flickered his eyes to Louis, pale as a sheet opposite him. He could see Louis was scared; the tendrils of hair that fell across his forehead were shaking and his bottom lip trembled. His head was turned to the side, listening for the velociraptors’ approach. His pulse was visible against his neck, along with the rapid rise and fall of his chest. Even as Liam watched, however, Louis scrunched up his face, biting at his lip to keep it still. 

“Hey,” Liam breathed. “I love you.”

Louis gave pause, as if the words Liam had uttered silenced the terror around them. “You’re not ‘spose to say it yet,” he replied, his quiet voice bouncing off the walls. In his periphery Liam saw Harry looking between the two of them.

“I know,” Liam continued. “I need to, though.” He pushed forward and ran his unsteady fingers through Louis’ hair. There was dirt under his fingernails. “And you guys,” he said, turning to Harry and Niall. “I love you guys, too.”

If Niall was aiming to mock, he missed the mark by a long shot when he huffed out a breath and said, “Yeah, we all love each other.” His tone was soft and his eyelids drooped, defeated. He opened his mouth to speak once more when a scratching sound came from beyond the door.

They all startled, Harry and Louis scrambling from their hiding places to wedge themselves closer to Liam and Niall. Behind the small window into the corridor the dark, scaly head of a velociraptor came into view, hot breath misting up the glass. Its beady yellow eye flitted around the kitchen until it landed on the corner where they were all huddled together. The razor sharp claws of the ‘raptor could be made out through the thin sliver under the door.

The four of them pressed closer together, hands grabbing at each other, as the noise of movement outside increased. Liam wondered how many of the ‘raptors were out there, if they’d gathered reinforcements. Were velociraptors even that intelligent?

A fresh wave of terror crawled up Liam’s spine when the handle of the heavy kitchen door began to turn.

“They - Are they opening -” Louis trailed off. They could all see it.

The handle slammed back up, a jarring, metallic sound loud in the cavernous kitchen. The ‘raptors outside shifted, claws dragging against the floor, and the handle edged down for a second try.

“Zayn’s -” Harry gasped, blinking rapidly. “Zayn’s not going to be pleased if we all die without him.” He licked his lips. “Are we going to die?” he asked, his voice strained, gaze stuck on the door.

Louis sniffed, shaking his head. “No,” he lied. “We’re not.” Liam grimaced.

The handle slammed up again and one of the ‘raptors let out a vicious screech. They were getting agitated. Liam couldn’t think of anything worse than being on the receiving end of that anger.

“No,” Niall echoed. They all turned to him, curious at the confidence running through his words. “We’re not.”

“Niall?”

He grinned at the rest of them, blue eyes twinkling, and pointed above their heads. “The vents.”

In the time it took for Louis to clamber onto Harry’s shoulders and force the grate open, the noise from the ‘raptors was getting louder and louder. They’d begun to bang on the door, fighting to get it open. Liam watched Niall’s legs disappear into the safety of the vent, his and Harry’s faces reappearing wide eyed and red. They each reached down to pull Liam up and he shouted out as the skin by his wound stretched and twisted. Blood dropped onto his cheeks and onto the floor below.

That second the door clattered open and two velociraptors burst into the kitchen. “Shit.” Liam’s heart soared into his throat. “Up!” he yelled even as Harry and Niall worked to lift him away from danger, grimacing from the strain on their respective injuries. He could hear Louis yelling from further down the vent, over the snarls from the ‘raptors stalking towards him below. He was almost there, his torso slid across metal and Harry’s hands tugged at his sides to pull him further up. One of the creature’s jaw was snapping a whisper away from his boots and he gathered his resolve to kick the dinosaur in the snout. It let out a pained whine before it resumed snapping with increased ferocity. Liam took the chance to hurl himself further into the vent, lifting his feet out of the reach of the monster’s teeth.

They didn’t wait for Liam catch his breath, but scurried along the vent. Liam’s shoulders pressed against metal on both sides. Their breathing coming in shallow burst, they didn’t stop moving until they’d left the last call of the ‘raptors behind.

~

The double doors of the cinema burst open and Louis sucked in gasping breaths of the cool night air. The moon was big and round, dangling low in the sky above the calm water. The lights of the shops and restaurants on Main Street were still twinkling seductively from within the wreckage of the pteranodon attack. Their reflections danced in the lake’s surface like stars.

It was really quite a beautiful place.

He frowned, trying to remember where Liam had parked the Jeep when the ground shook. At the far end of the road, deceptively small in the distance, the indominus stomped closer and closer them.

“Oh, my ever loving -” Louis cursed, turning on his heels just as Harry collided with him. He flapped his hands. “Back, back inside, fucking  _ shit _ -”

Harry looked down at him like he’d grown a second head. “We can’t go back, what are you on about? We barely got out alive -” His whining was cut short when he looked over Louis’ shoulder to the panic inducing scene. “Oh. Oh, no. No, no, no,” he mumbled, his fingers curling into Louis’ jacket as the two of them stumbled backwards. “This isn’t fair.”

Louis gritted his teeth, pushing out the words, “Hide. Hiding is good.” He grabbed the others who were staring gormlessly at the indominus. Harry was right, of course, they couldn’t go back into the cinema. Instead, he shoved everyone behind an oversized sculpture of a mosquito frozen in amber. Once they were all properly ensconced behind the orange glass, Louis informed the others, quite hysterically, “Would you believe it, I’d almost forgotten about the indominus.” He fought for breath. “What with the pteranodons and velociraptors.”

“Shush,” Harry hissed.

Liam shuffled closer to Louis, pushing down a short grunt as he caught his arm. “Liam!” Niall exclaimed. “Will you stop bleeding, man. It can probably smell you.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Liam spat, sarcasm thick. “You’re bleeding too.”

Niall pouted.

“Have you two lost your minds?” Harry mouthed, small squeaking sounds escaping his throat. The orange light from the sculpture lit up his face in a slightly demonic manner. “Shut. Up.”

The indominus, her ragged teeth protruding from her jaw, prowled closer. The spinal plates on her back swayed dangerously with every move she ma de. She careened around the corner, knocking off the edge of the building like it was made of sand. The heavy thud of concrete hitting the ground echoed in Louis’ ears. She was close, now. Louis could make out the splashes of mud on her feet. 

When the two velociraptors came hurtling up Main Street, cawing loudly, Louis was more confused than surprised. Almost as if he’d left his body, becoming an indifferent spectator, he watched as the indominus bowed her head, her jaw opening wider than seemed possible to let out a bone-shaking roar. The ‘raptors were sneaky and light, where the indominus was bulky. They jumped on her back, snapped at her legs, scraped at her flesh.

It was strange, the ‘raptors were so preoccupied with the indominus, that they paid no attention to the four trembling humans cowering not twenty feet away.  _ Thank God, _ Louis thought.

“Why are they fighting her? I thought they were all buddies.” Harry turned his puzzled face to the rest of them. Louis shrugged, not sure he understood anything any more.

“Maybe Pete managed to get them back on our side, before,” Niall suggested, his eyes following the battle taking place in front of them.

They performed a kind of twisted ballet. Even as the ‘raptors dragged the indominus off course with tugs to her arms and legs, teeth digging into her neck, Louis knew they were no match for her, really. She had too much power; her muscles too strong, her mouth too wide, her movements too quick.

A plethora of fangs and claws and tails, the battling bodies collided with one of the many flagpoles stationed along the street. It slammed into the wall behind them, chunks of the building crumbling and falling around them. Louis felt the whack of something knocking the back of his skull. He dropped onto his hands, unable to stop himself from shouting out. His vision swam, his entire head hot. Sharp, white pain shot behind his eyes and groaned. He was vaguely aware of hands dragging him up, pulling him back to shelter in a shallow alcove.

When he managed to blink his vision clear again, the indominus had one of the ‘raptors - Louis recognised the blue streaks running down its back as the one that had almost caught Liam - clasped in her mouth. The other ‘raptor snarled, lowering its head and undulating its tail, ready for an attack. It didn’t get close, though. The second it moved forward, the indominus struck out with a long arm and set it flying into the air. It landed in the crumbling wreck of a building, unmoving.

Niall hissed, his lips drawn back. “What are you whining about?” Liam scoffed. “They were trying to eat you not ten minutes ago.”

“They’re animals, Liam. They can’t help it.”

Her defeat of the velociraptors did nothing to soften the indominus’ rampage, however. The wreckage followed them until they were forced to seek shelter in a deserted souvenir hut. Louis shoved himself into a corner, looking wearily up at the plastic tyrannosaurus toys looming above him. He scrunched his eyes shut, fighting the urge to press his hands against his ears and block out the dreadful roars that were coming from beyond the flimsy wooden walls.

“There’s too many teeth,” Niall rambled, nonsensically.

Louis felt Liam close a hand around his own. He waited for the indominus’ fangs to pierce his skin. Harry’s fingers entwined with those of free hand. He peaked an eye open to see that Harry had pulled Niall’s hand against his chest, as well. Looking at Harry’s face, Louis had expected to see a defeated expression. Instead, his friend looked almost thoughtful

“I’ve got an idea,” Harry announced, appearing surprised with himself.

“Yeah?” Liam breathed.

The indominus let out a formidable roar and the walls of the hut shook.

“It’s -” Harry grimaced, inclining his head. “It’s not a great idea,” he admitted.

Liam pressed his head back against the hut, worrying his lip with closed eyes. “It think we’re at the point where anything is worth a shot.”

After a short pause where they all waited for the big reveal, Harry asked, “Where’s the t-rex cage, from here?”

“What?” Liam frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Niall’s firm voice cut through Liam’s words, however, like he just wanted Harry to get to the point. “There’s a service entrance to her compound about two hundred metres north. If you go behind the units, past the spinosaurus bones, it’s a straight road. Last door on the right.”

Harry nodded. “Right. And how do you open the compounds?”

Cold dread shot up Louis’ spine and Liam began to shake his head, leaning towards Harry. “No. No, Harry,” he whispered frantically. “You weren’t listening earlier, were you? Lesson two, don’t ever let the dinosaurs out of their cage.”

In response, Harry simply levelled them with a stony glare. Outside the indominus had stopped roaring, content to interrupt the quiet with horrific, rumbling purrs.

“Look,” Louis croaked, biting at his dry lips. “Maybe we could just, you know, wait it out. We’ve made it this far.”

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, the hut directly opposite them on the other side of the street was destroyed in a loud crash as the indominus slammed her foot through its flimsy roof. Louis grimaced.

Niall pulled Louis’ rucksack towards him and withdrew a thin red tube. “You’ll need the flare,” he said, handing it to Harry. “Focus her attention. Get rid of it when you need to.” His eyes were fixed on Harry, tone the most serious Louis had ever heard it.

“This -” Louis gasped. “This sounds like the worst thing that we could do.” He didn’t think anybody took notice of his words.

Beside him, Liam had been silent for while, grinding his jaw as he stared at Harry. “Fine, then,” he said, voice thick. “I’m coming with you.”

Louis couldn’t help it. A loud, frustrated groan escaped past his lips. “Li, you don’t have to volunteer for  _ everything _ ,” he whined. His head was throbbing, the dull ache behind his eyes getting worse with each word said. “Jesus. Give me a break.”

Harry pulled a strange face, as if he was trying to keep his expression neutral. It hadn’t worked, though. His eyebrows twitched. “Just tell me the code,” he sighed. “Liam, mate, please. I can do this myself.”

“You don’t have to.” Louis was somewhat surprised to see a the twist of a small smile along Liam’s lips. “I’m coming,” he said.

The two of them stood up and Louis’ heart raced, beating against his chest like a drum. He stumbled to his feet, striding over so that he was face to face with Harry. He took his friend’s face, the stubborn determination etched into every feature. Licking his lips, he said, “He’s the best thing in my life.”

Harry huffed, a brief glimmer of amusement passing behind his eyes. “Charming.” He curled a hand against the side of Louis’ face and they regarded each other for a few beats. The moment passed and Harry clapped him on the shoulder. “See you in a bit. I  _ promise _ .” He sent a wink Niall’s way and ducked out of the hut door into the night beyond.

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Louis spluttered, appalled. “Come back!” he yelled. “ _ Harry! _ ” He turned to Liam, panicking. “Liam -” He reached out for the other man, clasping at his leather top. “Fuck, go with him. Hurry.” The only response Liam gave was to nod and press a closed mouthed kiss to Louis’ lips. It was dry and chaste and brief, but Louis leaned into him all the same. With a grin, Liam stepped back planting a kiss on Niall’s cheek as well before he, too, was gone.

~

“So, what’s the plan?” Liam asked, once they were clear of the indominus. They’d sneaked around the edge of the dinosaur skeleton statue and were heading down the deserted service road behind the main resort. Liam new these roads like the back of his hand, but they all seemed entirely unfamiliar in the deserted night.

“Well,” Harry let out a long breath, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Liam supposed it was, in a way. “I mean, let old rexy out of her cage.”

“Yeah, but after that?”

Harry blew out a hot breath, his lips vibrating with it. “I figure, let the dinosaurs fight it out.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal.

“Any finer detail?” Liam asked, his voice a pitch or two higher than he would have liked.

“No. No, not really.” Harry looked down at the flare in his hand, weighing it in his hand as the walked. “Flare’s all we need, right?” He looked up to Liam and Liam could finally see the fear in his face. He nodded.

“We’re going to have to run really, really fast.”

Harry smirked, though his hands were still shaking. “If you think you can keep up.”

It wasn’t that Liam didn’t understand what Harry was trying to do, he just wanted to be sure that Harry fully appreciated what they were letting themselves in for. “I mean really, ridiculously fast,” he sa id, pointing towards the tall, reinforced shutter coming into view at the end of the road. “That’s a tyrannosaurus rex in there. She can reach speeds of up to forty five miles an hour.”

“So now you know about din osaurs. Just in time to unnerve me. I see your game.”

“Harry.” Liam stopped in the middle of the road, send a discerning glare at Harry.

“Liam,” Harry countered. He returned Liam’s look without blinking.

Liam ducked his head. He could do this. He could. He sighed and pulled a face as he said, “You’re all talk and no trousers, Styles. I could beat you with my eyes closed.”

Harry smiled and Liam knew he’d done the right thing coming with him. “Well, we shall see, won’t we.”

They reached the door. Its grim, grey, industrial front did nothing to steady Liam’s nerves. He was drenched in sweat. The way Harry was biting down on his lip until it was white told Liam they were both feeling the strain.

“Ready?” he asked, his hand hovering over the keypad.

Harry sucked in a breath. He nodded, staring at the door. “As I’ll ever be.”

The mechanical wire of the door was a stark contrast to the mossy forest revealed beyond. The darkness was thick and dense, a faint mist seeping out onto the street. It engulfed them. For a second Liam panicked, thinking he wouldn’t be able to see the t-rex when she came. He needn’t have worried. Her presence was announced by the heavy thumping of her steps. The gleam of her eyes stood out against the backdrop of trees, the outline of her towering body becoming larger and larger as she approached the door.

Harry lit the fuse and held it, steady, above his head.

They ran as fast as they could. Liam didn’t think he paused to breathe. His legs ached. Blood pumped around his body. He focused on Harry’s long legs a stride in front of him. As soon as they were on Main Street Harry launched the flare towards the indominus, hitting her square on the chest.

It _ worked _ . The tyrannosaurus lunged at the indominus, just has Harry and Liam launched themselves into the gift shop where Niall and Louis had hidden. The four of them held each other wordlessly, fingers clutching at shirts, breathing coming in heavy pants.

The final fight was a blur of heavy muscles and pointed teeth. Liam couldn’t decide which dinosaur had the advantage. They simply watched, in awe, as the two titanic animals clawed at each other and bit and roared. The fighting was relentless and had the group of them racing down Main Street, trying to keep track of who had the upper hand. They’d managed to follow the two dinosaurs all the way down to the waterfront junction when the tyrannosaurus managed to knock the indominus to the floor. Liam almost cheered. It had been a very long day.

The indominus kicked out where it was pressed against the barrier to the lake, desperate roars loud enough that Liam was sure everyone at the Ferry Landing would be able to hear them. An enormous shadow rose up from the lake, blocking out the light from the moon for a second or two. Liam’s heart missed a beat before his mind could process what was happening. The mosasaurus crashed through the barrier, its enormous jaw closing around the indominus’ chest. In a moment the indominus was dragged down into the depths, it’s roars silenced, white foam frothing along the water’s surface.

Liam blinked, astounded.

Relief seeped through him, wrapping its tendrils pleasantly around his aching muscles. The tyrannosaurus, denied it’s victory, began to head away from them back towards the forest.

“Bloody hell,” Niall mumbled as the others dropped to the floor, exhausted. “We’re alive. We’re all still alive.”

~

There was a soft pounding in the distance. Louis’ eyes burst open and he scrambled to sit upright.

“Whoa, whoa,” a deep, gentle voice cut through Louis’ internal panic. “Whoa, it’s okay. We’re safe. We’re off the island.” His gaze dropped to Liam’s hands, which were palm up, reaching out to him as if to calm him down.

His eyes darted around at his surroundings. They were in a large aircraft hanger. A strange smell filled the air; a mixture of food, antiseptic and old metal. He had been lying on a small cot, a threadbare blanket thrown on top of him.

Off the island, Liam had said.  _ Safe _ . A burst of relief flooded his body, soothing his aches and calming his nerves.

Hundreds of similar beds spread out in neat rows around him, each one crowded by people. The majority of the guests were walking wounded, with bandages on their heads or limbs, hobbling down the aisles. There were some that Louis could see, however, who were seriously injured. I V drips and backboards cropped up in every other row. 

Just as he saw a woman three beds down from them cry out in pain, someone in an official looking uniform ran passed him carrying blood soaked bandages. He cringed and turned to see Harry and Niall lying in the cot on his other side. Niall was asleep, spread across Harry’s chest, clearly having passed out as soon as he lay down. Harry smiled at him from over Niall’s head. He looked drowsy, like he may have also just woken up from a long rest.

“It’s funny,” Liam said. His voice was thick, like he hadn’t used it in a while. Now that Louis was looking at him properly he saw that he still had blood on his face. Louis wondered if he’d rested at all since they got back, or if he’d spent the whole time watching over Harry, Niall and him. Liam carried on talking, oblivious to Louis’ scrutiny. “I didn’t think about it before, but you’re the only one of us that made it out in one piece.”

Louis gaze landed again on Liam’s wrapped up forearm, travelling over to Harry’s bandaged arm and the padding sticking out of Niall’s collar. He shifted. “Lucky me.”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant.” Liam rolled his eyes. “You had a real easy time of it, for sure,” he added, tone both sarcastic and soft.

Louis bit the inside of his cheek, chastised. “Sorry.”

“Hey, it’s a good thing. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I did get hit on the head.”

“You’re right. I can’t believe I forgot,” Liam gasped, hands reaching to rest by Louis’ ears. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Louis laughed. “I’m fine.”

“Good. You should let the doctor check, though. There’s one doing the rounds. It’s good you feel better.” Liam shuffled closer and Louis could feel the heat from his body warming his skin. He leant into the touch, resting his head by Liam’s neck. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “I don’t know if you got the message back there on the island,” Liam said, the words vibrating against his chest. “But I’m a little bit fond of you.” He squeezed Louis tight against him.

“Are you?” Louis smirked against Liam’s skin. He ran his nose against the top of his shoulder. “I hadn’t noticed,” he teased and pulled back to look Liam in the eye. “Might need to convince me some more.”

A dumb grin spread across Liam’s face like he couldn’t help it, and Louis was inordinately pleased with himself. “You’re a cheese ball,” Liam said.

“Shut up,” Louis dismissed, leaning closer so their noses were brushing against each other. “Get over here.”

Their lips met and the heat of their breath mingled and Liam made a delicate whimpering noise into Louis’ mouth, fingers running along his back. Louis closed his eyes, wanting to stay like that forever.

A loud wolf-whistle from nearby cut the moment short. Niall had woken up. “Niall,” Harry scolded as the other man continued to laugh. Louis scowled, grabbing his rucksack and flinging it towards Niall. It missed, hitting Harry directly in the chest. “Louis,” he shouted, half way between angry and amused.

Louis ducked his head to hide his smirk and leant back against the cot, pulling Liam down with him. The two of them curled up together and listened to the sounds of life around them. This was okay, Louis thought, mind drifting towards the edge of sleep once more. They were going to be okay.

 


	8. Epilogue

**Marland Way, Stretford, Greater Manchester**

The loud grinding of a cement mixer sounded over the wall and Liam straightened, wiping his hand against his face.

“All right?” Louis called from inside.

Liam sniffed. He shielded his eyes from the sun’s glare, settling on Louis’ silhouette through the window. It looked like he was on the phone, his head cocked to the left and shoulder raised as he wandered around the kitchen. His raised voice could be heard from the end of the garden. Liam sent him a thumbs up, smiling as Louis stuck his tongue out in response.

They’d moved in just over a week ago. Boxes were still stacked against the walls in a couple of rooms, with piles of packing paper filling the hallway. He looked up once more when the grinding stopped, and he was able to hear the distant rumbling of the main road. The sun was beating down on him as he worked clearing the garden and he pulled off his thick gloves, catching his breath. Taking a look down at his hands, he saw the thin, white scar that ran down his arm still hadn’t faded. If anything, it stood out even more harshly against his summer tanned skin.

He thought about the ‘raptor that did it, sometimes. He’d wake up, covered in sweat, short of breath and heart racing before he’d realise where he was. Before he’d realise that he was safe and that there were no dinosaurs trying to kill him. Louis would sling an arm over his chest, tell him to stop worrying and get back to sleep. It would somehow make everything better.

“Lunch,” Louis interrupted, beside him. His shirt sleeves were rolled up where he held out two plates.

“Lou,” Liam beamed.

Louis grinned, eyes crinkled, raising the plates. “Chicken and sweetcorn sandwiches,” he sang.

“You’re a culinary wizard.”

“Tell that to all the boys, do you?”

“Thanks,” Liam mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich. He was starving.

“How’s it going out here?” Louis asked, nodding towards the pile of weeds gathering near the brick wall.

“Okay,” he sighed. “It might take longer than I thought, though. There’s a lot to shift.”

“Well, you were the one who demanded a garage.”

Liam scoffed. “I didn’t demand,” he mumbled. He needed somewhere to do his work, to practice. If he wanted to do well in his new job and climb up the career ladder, he needed a workshop. It would have been nice if said workshop hadn’t been covered in vegetation, but, beggars can’t be choosers.

“Oh, you did. You were a proper diva about it.” Louis smirked, like he was enjoying holding such memories over Liam’s head. “‘Leave my bike on the street, Louis?’” he said, putting on an exaggerated black country accent. “‘Are you mad, Louis?’”

“She’s my prize possession.”

“I’m your prize possession. Wait, no. Hang on -” Louis frowned and Liam took the chance to laugh.

“What?” he asked, breathlessly.

Louis pointed his finger. “That’s not what I meant.”

“If you say so.” Liam shrugged, nudging Louis’ foot with his own. “Did you want a garage of your own?” he teased. It earned him a whack on the arm.

“Shut up.”

He pressed a kiss above Louis’ ear, pushing him towards the house and the table. “What time is everyone getting here?” he asked, taking his empty plate to the sink.

“That was Harry just now.” Louis waved behind him, towards his phone on the kitchen top. “Said he’s caught up waiting for a delivery, so might be later. Like, five, or something?” He stared down at his sandwich, deciding which part to attack next. “Zayn’s going to pick him up.”

It was four hours later and the house was full of their friends for the first time since they’d been there. The kitchen door was wide open, the smell of cooking meat drifting through the air. Louis and Zayn lounged on the patio, smoke rising in plumes in front of their smirking faces.

“Thought you were quitting,” Liam said, taking his place at Louis’ side.

He caught the tail end of Louis’ laughter. “I am. Zayn’s enabling me.”

“Give over,” Zayn shot back.

“Here,” Louis nodded towards a glass on the patio floor. “I made you a fruitless pimms, you heathen.”

“Hey, what was that?” Niall’s voice came over the sizzling sounds of the barbeque where he and Harry were standing guard. “Li, mate, turn it up.”

“Huh?”

“The radio.” Niall rolled his eyes, while Harry smiled and shook his head. “Get your head out of the clouds. They’re talking about the park.”

“Oh, hang on.” He leant up to the window, where the radio was perched, turning up the voice of the news reader for them all to hear.

“ _\- expected to close permanently, InGen’s official spokesperson has today confirmed the works have commenced at the resort’s abandoned Costa Rica location. The company announced that Jurassic World would be ready for it’s second grand opening by next June, almost two years after the resort was closed following the escape of one of the park’s star attractions. Both Downing Street and the White House have condemned InGen’s actions, stating that such an attraction had been proven unsuitable for the general public. The target waiting times for patients in accident and emergency -”_

“Reopening?” Niall gasped. His eyes travelled across everyone’s shocked faces. “But what about all the people that got killed? Niamh and all the others. Shit, can they do that?”

Liam hummed, shocked. “Apparently.”

“But -” Louis started, sitting forward. “But they can’t. They can’t.” He squinted up at Harry. “Harry, tell me they can’t.”

Harry looked up, hotdog halfway to his mouth. He shrugged, lowering his hands. “Maybe there’s a loophole in Costa Rica’s legislation? I don’t know. Sure did a lot for the local economy.” He pointed his hotdog at Niall. “You’ll always get the idiots.”

“Right,” Louis drawled, landing Liam with a haughty glare. “‘Cause only an idiot would go there.”

“You visited,” he replied. He clicked his tongue, bringing a burger to his mouth. “I ain’t planning on going back any time soon.”

“Over my dead body are you guys going back there.” They all turned to Zayn, his expression sombre. “Ever,” he warned.

Liam inclined his head. “Like I said, ain’t planning on it.”

The night drew in and the air around them cooled. After Niall pulled on a second hoodie Liam stretched and groaned. “You guys up for a DVD?”

“Yeah, sure,” somebody mumbled and they piled into the house.

“I have the blu-ray of Alien,” Liam offered, to a rumble of dissent.

Scrunched up faces and downturned mouths looked on at him. “Can we watch something without monsters in it, please?” Harry asked, dropping to an understuffed armchair.

“Jenny and I made it all the way through Godzilla the other day,” Niall announced, proudly.

Harry crowed, “Well done, mate.” To anyone else it would have sounded mocking, but Liam knew Harry was being sincere.

He scratched his chin, eyeing the open box of DVD’s in the corner. “Er, sure. I got Band of Brothers for Christmas, ain’t watched any of it yet. How about that?”

“Stick it on. I’ll get some beers.”

As the telly lit up and the soaring soundtrack filled the room, Liam settled in against the sofa. Louis climbed on top of him, tucking his feet beneath Liam’s thigh. In turn, Liam curled his hand behind Louis’ neck, fingers brushing against the soft hairs there. If someone had told him before he went off to Jurassic World that this would be his future, he wouldn’t have believed a word of it. He would never have been able to conceive a world in which he’d summon the courage to tell Louis how he felt. And yet, here they were.

“Fuck,” Louis breathed by his chest.

Liam craned his neck. “What?” he muttered. “Are you crying?” He almost laughed when he saw Louis’ eyes glisten in the light of the screen.

“No,” Louis said, stubbornly.

“It hasn’t even started yet.”

“Just the music,” Louis huffed. He waved his hand in front of them. “Brings back memories.”

“Of what?” Liam scoffed. “When you fought in the war?”

Louis turned to him, his glassy eyes wide. “Of the last time I watched it, all right?” He huffed, “Fucking sad.”

Liam laughed, Louis’ body rising and falling where he lay on his chest. Liam leant his head close, hairs tickling his nose, and whispered, “You can cry on my shoulder. I won’t tell anybody.”

“Oh, I will. Don’t you worry.”

“Won’t need to tell anybody,” Niall spoke up from his position on the floor. “We all have eyes.”

He, Harry and Zayn chuckled as Louis threw a cushion across the room, missing Niall by at least a foot. “Shut your face, Horan. You haven’t seen anything.”

The episode started in earnest and they quietened down. Curled up around each other in the warmth, Liam smiled to himself. Next to him, Louis’ eyes were focused on the screen, his face illuminated. He was everything. Liam thought about the times that he’d almost lost him, how he almost let Louis pass him by, and it made his heart ache. He wished with all his heart that the mess at Jurassic World had never happened; people had died, good people. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t thankful it brought him and Louis together. He was and always would be a bright spot in the darkening night.

The End

_“I wanted to show them something that wasn't an illusion. Something that was real, something that they could see and touch.”_

\- John Hammond, Jurassic Park

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I signed up for Big Bang, I was already taking a step back from One Direction. However, I really wanted to continue to contribute to fandom and the people in it, and fic writing has always been the best way for me to do this. I’ve really enjoyed writing One Direction fic and hope to continue for as long as I can. Fan works are so important, guys, so thank you SO MUCH for reading. I hope you liked it.
> 
> And, if you did like this, you should check out [Just a Walk in the Park](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4209105/chapters/9512025), (a Larry Jurassic Park AU, if that’s what you’re into) by [comingbackhometoyou](http://archiveofourown.org/users/comingbackhometoyou/pseuds/comingbackhometoyou) and [madeuplovesong](http://archiveofourown.org/users/madeuplovesong/pseuds/madeuplovesong), [All Along, My Heart Was Beating for You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4539624?view_adult=true) by [harryswhale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/harryswhale/pseuds/harryswhale) (it’s Larry and baby velociraptors, what more could you want?), or [every wave drags you to sea](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Round_Four/works/6286660) by [alnima](http://archiveofourown.org/users/alnima/pseuds/alnima) (another Lilo Jurassic World AU for the Big Bang, because it's that good of an idea).


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